And So It Begins
by LindaLeeB
Summary: Sequel to "Life Goes On". Danny and Steve are a family with Grace now. They decide to start a relationship with each other. Slash Warning! Second in the series.
1. Chapter 1

_This is a sequel to "Life Goes On", my first fanfic ever. Danny moved into Steve's house with Grace when he lost his apartment and had an opportunity to share custody with Grace if he found suitable housing. Grace has pronounced them a family and Uncle Steve has been promoted to Step-Steve. Now Danny has moved in to share Steve's room. Hope you like it._

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Steve, Danny, and Grace piled in the Camaro to run their errands. Steve drove, as usual. The first destination was the public library. Grace's life with Stan and Rachel was one of affluence. Stan spoiled Grace with a real rabbit, tennis lessons, private school, and a maid to wait on her. Danny wanted to offset that with a more normal life. The library was a good place to start. The library loaned you books and DVD's for free, and you could get more when you returned your previous withdrawals.

This particular branch had a large children's section. There were a lot of nooks for the kids to sample the books. Grace looked like a kid in a candy store. She found three books she wanted to take home, and they all picked out a stack of movies. Some were newer kid-friendly movies; some were classics that Danny or Steve wanted to share with Grace.

Danny thought they were headed home when Steve detoured and stopped at the local Wal-Mart. Danny thought Steve had covered the shopping the other night and asked, "Did you forget something babe? Are we out of milk or beer?"

Steve took a deep breath and thought how to put this. "Danny, when I cleaned out the garage last month, I threw a lot of my old athletic equipment away. I thought I'd pick up some replacements." He thought he could slip it past Danny if he put it that way. "It's a nice day and I thought we might have a little time to toss a ball around or something."

Danny stared at Steve and knew he was being played. He also knew Steve was doing this for Grace. Besides, it would be fun to play catch with Grace. Who else was going to teach her to play ball? "Okay, but I think we're going to talk about this later too."

The trio got out and walked into the store, joining what must have been half of the island. Steve snagged a cart and headed back to sporting goods. He filled half of the cart with various balls, three gloves, and a bat. Steve had Grace try on several gloves to make sure she found one that was comfortable.

'Steve is so sweet with Grace', Danny thought. Stan would have taken Grace to a high-dollar specialty store and bought the most expensive glove in the store without caring if it was what Grace needed. Stan only cared that Grace had the best of everything. Steve only wanted to play ball with Grace.

Just when Danny thought Steve was done, they veered over to the toy section. Danny was going to protest when Steve stopped in front of the puzzle section. Steve picked up some easier puzzles for Grace and some more difficult puzzles they would need to help with. "I thought these might come in handy on a rainy day. It was something my family did I was a kid. We'd start one on the weekend and everybody would spend a little time on it until it was complete. I was pretty good at it once upon a time."

Danny decided to give Steve a pass on this one. When they first met, Steve seldom mentioned his family life. Danny knew that he had been hurt badly when his dad sent Steve and Mary away after his mom died. It was like Steve locked that part of his life away the way that Danny packed photos from his marriage away after the divorce. Danny knew he'd never look at them again because it hurt too much to remember what he had lost. For whatever reason, Steve had unlocked the door to his childhood and was letting Danny and Grace in.

"Okay super-SEAL. You win. Let's get out of here before you talk me into something else." Danny was steering the cart and headed to the front of the store. Steve unloaded the cart and quickly paid. They headed home and took their booty from the library and Wal-Mart in. Steve changed into an old Navy t-shirt and cut-offs.

Steve went out to the garage and gassed up the lawn mower. Danny and Grace joined him a few minutes later, also dressed for work. The lawn only took about an hour with Danny on the weed whacker and Grace sweeping the walkway. They were all hot and sweaty by the time they were done.

They washed up and Danny assembled a quick lunch of sandwiches and veggies. While they ate, Grace told them about a movie Danny's parents had taken her to when she was in New Jersey with Rachel. Danny's father had fallen asleep halfway through the movie.

After lunch, Grace changed into her bathing suit. Steve settled for peeling off his t-shirt. Danny had put on his old police academy t-shirt and workout shorts for the yard work. After a minute, Danny shrugged and peeled his t-shirt off too. He caught Steve giving him a very appraising look. "Like what you see?" Danny couldn't resist asking but held his breath for the answer.

"Always have, Danno, always have." Steve was shaking his head but he had his smug smile on now.

"Hey, just because I don't take my shirt off every other day like some people doesn't mean I don't keep in shape." Danny had teased Steve often about his propensity to strip down. "I'm just choosy about my audience."

Upon hearing that, Steve stepped close to Danny. They weren't touching but they could feel the heat radiating off the other. Steve's voice was low now. "I'm glad you put the show on for me then."

Danny felt the response curl in his gut. The men were still standing like that when Grace came in. "Danno, Step-Steve, come on. I'm waiting. Let's go wash the car."

That snapped the tension. They all headed out to the driveway. It was decided that they would clean the interiors of the Camaro and Silverado first. Then they would do the exteriors. Cleaning the interiors was hot work. By the time the bucket and hose made an appearance, they were ready for a cool down.

Danny made sure he manned the hose. He sprayed the Camaro off first, making sure Steve and Grace were hit by some of the spray. Steve retaliated by making sure some of the warm suds got on Danny. Grace was oblivious to their game. She loved getting wet, and she loved working with her new family.

They quickly finished washing and drying the Camaro. Danny moved the newly washed car to the front of the yard where it would be out of the line of fire. Danny was the designated driver because he was the only one clean enough to get in the car. Steve took the opportunity to take control of the hose.

The minute Danny stepped up to the truck, Steve turned around with the hose on full stream. Danny sputtered and then laughed. "I guess I had that coming. Let's finish this up." The truck took longer because, well, it was so much bigger. They were all a sodden mess by the time the truck was finished.

They put the bucket and sponges up and rolled up the hose. Steve surveyed the work crew and knew they were done for the day. "What do you say we go for a swim? I missed my usual routine this morning and would like to at least work my swim in."

Steve figured that one day off wouldn't hurt, but he also thought that Danny and Grace could use some time alone. Plus, the swim would give him time to consider his relationship with Danny. He always thought if he ever got the chance to be with Danny, it would be a long time before Danny had made it into his bed. They would both need to go slow.

This morning at breakfast, Grace had maneuvered Danny into Steve's bedroom. Or rather, she had asked a question and Steve and Danny danced around each other until it was agreed that Danny would move in. Steve and Danny had a date on the lanai tonight to discuss this new development.

A little over a week ago, Steve had launched 'Operation Danno'. The objective was to woo Danny into a relationship. He was playing for keeps. He thought Danny was not only open but interested in the same.

It wasn't just Danny either. There was Grace to consider. Steve loved her; he couldn't love her more if he was her biological father. Steve had never thought about having a family. Steve had never been in love before now. He always thought he would have his career in the Navy and not much else. It had been enough once but not now. He wanted it all.

Steve was a little nervous about his date tonight. He really needed to get this right. The swim calmed him the way it always did. He felt lose and a little tired when he came ashore. Danny and Grace had already finished their swim and gone inside. Steve dried off as best as he could and walked inside. Grace was in the living room, reading one of her library books.

She looked up when Steve came in. "Did you have a nice swim Step-Steve?"

Steve smiled at her. "Yes I did. Did you and Danno enjoy your swim?"

"Yes, we did. Danno didn't want us to stay out too long or we would get sunburned. It's a good thing the driveway is shaded. Danno burns."

"Yeah, I guess we forgot to put on sun block before we went out. Is Danno okay?"

"Yes, we put some on before we went swimming. Are we going to eat soon? I'm getting a little hungry." Grace's stomach growled.

Steve smiled and went into the kitchen. He brought back a bowl of Goldfish and a glass of juice. "Think this will hold you? I need to shower off."

Grace accepted the snack and nodded. She was deep into her book again when Steve went to get cleaned up. He walked into the bathroom without thinking. The room was a little steamy and Danny was just getting out of the shower. They both froze.

"Danny, I'm sorry. I just walked in without thinking. I guess I'm not used to sharing yet." Steve didn't mean to scare Danny off before they could even get started.

Danny relaxed a little and wrapped a towel around his waist. He tried to put Steve at ease. "It's okay babe. You're right about the shower. Man, you may never get rid of me. My apartment had no water pressure at all."

Steve relaxed now too. "Yeah, how do you think I get moving after some of my altercations with a suspect? I've got an extra-large water heater. So there'd better be some hot water left for me." Steve decided he might as well even the score so he stripped off his cut-offs.

Danny hadn't realized that Steve had gone commando. Had he been like this for the whole day or just the car wash? He turned to watch Steve walk over to the shower. Damn, the back was as impressive as the front. Steve had a great ass!

Steve turned before he stepped into the shower. "Like what you see?" Steve asked, mimicking Danny's earlier question.

"Always have, babe, always have." Danny also mimicked Steve's response. With that, Danny walked out to get dressed. Steve quickly showered and got dressed, not commando this time. He joined Danny in the kitchen where Danny was marinating some chicken breasts.

"I started the grill. You want to start the salad? I got this under control. I poured you a lemonade." Danny nodded to the other counter.

"Thanks Danno. What's smells so good in the oven?" Steve drained half the glass in one swig. It had been a long hot day.

"It's a Hawaiian wedding cake*. Mom sent me the recipe after she heard me complain about people here putting pineapple on everything here. It's a simple recipe and actually sounded good. You know, I don't mind pineapple, it just has no place on pizza." Danny was gesturing now, not a good move with chicken in his hand.

"Well, it smells great. Thank your mom for me, will you?" Steve didn't want to get Danny started now. He quickly stuck his head in the fridge to find the salad fixings.

Dinner was delicious, not a surprise considering that the three of them were starving. Danny made the cream cheese frosting for the cake while Steve and Grace loaded the dishwasher and washed whatever didn't go in the dishwasher.

They decided to watch one of the DVD's they got at the library, "The Incredibles". Steve hadn't seen the movie and loved it. They paused the movie halfway through to get dessert.

"Danny, this is wonderful. Next time you talk to your mom, I'd like to thank her myself if I'm around." Steve had a sweet tooth, one he didn't indulge often. This was definitely worth the cheat.

"You want to talk to my mom?" Danny had not even thought about that yet.

"Well, you've been with 5-0 almost a year. I've met some of the Kelly-Kalakaua clan. You've met Mary. I'd like to meet your family too. I realize that New Jersey isn't like on the other side of the island. At least I could talk to them. Is that a problem?" Steve didn't want to rush Danny so he tried to couch it in neutral terms.

"Nope, no problem." Danny decided it couldn't hurt. He knew how charming Steve could be when he tried.

Steve, Danny, and Grace spent the rest of the evening cuddling on the couch. Grace was tired after the busy day and alternated between cuddling up with Danno, then Steve. Grace was almost asleep by the time the movie ended.

"Steve, do you want to grab Grace and take her up to bed. I'll take care of the dishes and be right up." Danny really liked watching Steve with Grace. He also knew that he needed to let Steve take the lead with Grace sometimes.

Steve flashed a smile and obliged. He picked Grace up (she was almost asleep now) and carried her up the stairs. He deposited her in the hall bath with a reminder to brush her teeth. He moved to her bedroom and pulled the bed down.

Grace came in a few minutes later. Her breath was minty, a sign that she had followed his reminder. He picked her up and just hugged her for a few minutes. He was talking softly to her, telling her how much he appreciated her help today and how much her loved her.

That was how Danny found them when he walked in. His heart clutched at hearing Steve's words. He always knew that if he would ever take another chance at love, the other person would have to love Grace too. He thought that maybe this was his chance because he knew no one would ever love Grace the way Steve did.

Steve finally saw Danny and transferred Grace into his arms. Grace roused briefly when Danny told her good night. "Step-Steve and I are going to be on the lanai for a little while. If you need us, just come down and get us."

Grace nodded and then was asleep. Danny stood, his palms sweaty now. Great, it's like my first date. "Ready?"

Steve knew what Danny was asking. "As ready as I'll ever be. Let's go."

The men walked down to the kitchen, stopping to pull two Longboards from the fridge before going to the lanai. This was their first date. Both were thinking the same thing: God, don't let me screw this up!

_I couldn't wait to start the sequel. I guess I've run out of patience!_

_*I got the recipe cake from my cousin, Mary Lou. Let me know if you're interested in the recipe._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Steve and Danny sat on the lanai, enjoying the view and the beer. The sky was alive with stars, more than Danny ever saw in New Jersey. Neither man spoke for a while. Usually, this was the end of the day. Tonight, this might be the start of something very special between Steve and Danny.

Steve took the initiative. "I love you Danno, you and Grace. I've known it since the day the Sarin nerve gas almost killed you. When you called last week, I was trying to figure out how to get you over here. I had this little plan. That lasted about two days when I realized you and Grace were too important for me to try to move you around like pieces on a chess board."

Steve had Danny's full attention now and continued. "This is not a game to me. I'm not any good at relationships. The closest I've ever gotten to one was my thing with Catherine. We were good friends with benefits. She will always be my friend but the other part has ended. I've never been with a man, never considered it a possibility. That was before I met you."

Steve paused now, waiting for Danny to respond. Danny waited to make sure Steve had said his piece. "I can't say I love you, not yet. I'm not very good at relationships either; my marriage to Rachel started out okay but you know how that ended. Actually, my partnership with you has probably been my most successful relationship to date. I can't say we're on the same page, but I think we're at least reading the same book. Like you, I've never even thought about being with a man. I'm not totally freaked out by the idea, with you, that is." Danny was stammering now.

Steve smiled at that. "Gee, thanks Danny. I'm glad the idea of being with me doesn't freak you out. I'm not freaked either, although it would be a good idea to take our time for the physical side."

Danny was relieved to hear that. Danny imagined that Steve had a lot of smooth moves and wasn't ready to go too far down that road yet. "That sounds good babe. What we've been doing so far is working for me. I enjoyed the time this morning in your bed cuddling with you and Grace."

"I liked that too. Maybe we should take a few days to get used to being close like that. I don't want to take it too fast and have one of us go "Ew, no thanks".

Danny chuckled at that. "Yeah, that would pretty much put a damper on things. I think we have a game plan. We'll have to be careful at work. We can't let this break up our partnership at work. I don't want anyone covering your ass but me."

Danny had tipped his bottle toward Steve. Steve tapped his bottle against Danny's, their sign of agreement since their first day as partners. "Same here brah. No one's going to cover your ass but me."

They both laughed at the double meaning. After all, they are a couple of guys. They tacitly agreed that the serious discussion was over for tonight. Danny was still reeling from Steve's profession of love. He never expected that. Steve was relieved that his declaration hadn't put Danny off. He knew he would have to give the other man time to catch up.

Danny and Steve were content to drink their beers and talk about plans for tomorrow. Danny went back into the kitchen to get two more beers. Steve transferred his to his left hand and casually snagged Danny's hand when he sat down. While they discussed going to a cultural fair the next day, Steve was running his thumb over the back of Danny's hand. It was innocent contact, but both men felt something heating up between them.

Suddenly Danny sat up and said, "Steve". When Steve stopped in mid-sentence and looked at Danny, Danny leaned over and softly kissed Steve. Steve pulled back and they looked at each other. Then they both closed the distance again for a second kiss. This kiss lasted much longer but was still sweet and tentative.

Finally Danny spoke. "I didn't mean to interrupt you babe. It's just that I was sitting here wondering what it would feel like to kiss you and decided I should just find out."

Steve gave Danny his patented half-smile. "You can interrupt me anytime you want like that babe. How did I do?"

Danny grinned back. "Well, the U.S. judge gives you a 7, but the Russian judge gives you a 5."*

Steve bantered back. "I understand the Russian score, but why only a 7 from the U.S.?"

Danny countered, "Babe, anything more than a 7 and our go-slow policy would become a gung-ho policy. And I hate to be accused of being a tease. Speaking of which, you washed the cars commando? And did you take our daughter to the public library and the Wal-Mart like that?"

Steve looked smug now. "I wondered if you caught that. I'll never tell. Now every time I leave the house, you'll wonder what I'm wearing under my cargo pants."

"You are such a tease," Danny accused, but he was laughing. He was enjoying the bantering with Steve. It had been years since he felt so light-hearted. He tried to remember the last time he started something, at least before he met Rachel. He had always liked this part; it's exciting to find someone special and anything is still possible.

They talked for while, enjoying the warm night air. Neither wanted another beer; alcohol can be dangerous when you're trying to be careful. Finally around midnight, they stood. Both were a little nervous about going upstairs together. Even with sex off the table, it is still a very intimate thing to sleep with someone.

Steve locked up while Danny keyed in the security code. They stopped in Grace's room to check on her. Finally they went into Steve's room, no, make that their bedroom. Steve had left a bedside lamp on. Danny went in the bathroom first while Steve changed into his night clothes and pulled the covers down. Danny was brushing his teeth when Steve came in. Steve pulled his toothbrush out and did the same. He finished up personal needs in private when Danny went to change into his sleep pants.

Danny was sitting up in bed, leaning against the headboard when Steve came out. Danny gave him a careful look and asked, "Commando"?

Steve laughed and replied, "Not tonight Danno. Grace may be joining us in the morning and I don't want to be too obvious." Steve slid into bed and watched Danny push his pillow down, then lay down facing him. "Are you going to stay way over there all night?" Steve had his puppy dog eyes again. Danny wondered if he got that from Grace. She was the champion at it. Steve was running a close second.

"Maybe I'll meet you halfway. But I'm telling you now; I had better not wake up in the morning to find that I'm the little spoon in this relationship. I've seen your closet. My mother and father together don't have that many clothes." Danny was getting revved up now.

Steve scooted over to the middle of the bed and grabbed Danny's hand. "Check, no little spoon. And what's with the crack about my clothes? I'll have you know that I enjoy getting all dressed up on occasion. A man should have options. But I'll ask you, did you see any ties. No, because no one wears a tie in Hawaii."

"Have you seen me wear a tie lately? I can adapt. You did look sharp in the suit the other day. Our babysitter seemed to like it okay. I think she's got a thing for you." Danny couldn't resist teasing.

"Please Danno, promise me you'll never mention _her_ in our bed again. You could render me impotent thinking about it." Steve knew what they were doing. This back and forth settled them down. Now, both men were in the middle of the bed.

Steve was running his hand up and down Danny's side. Their legs were tangled again, same as this morning except without Grace. Danny leaned over and kissed Steve. He tasted like his mint toothpaste. This time, the kiss deepened by mutual consent. Danny tentatively reached over to stroke Steve's jaw. Steve moved his hand up to stroke Danny's face too.

Their touches were light; they were testing to see what the other liked, if the other would pull back. Steve was nibbling at Danny's lower lip now. They were closer now. Danny had slipped his hand under Steve's t-shirt and was stroking the smooth skin on Steve's back. Every now and then, his fingers would run over a place where the skin was puckered or rough. Steve would murmur "sniper fire in the 'Stan" or "knife fight in Iraq".

Steve had moved to Danny's jaw line now. It was a strange experience kissing someone with stubble but it didn't matter because this is Danno.

Suddenly, Danny's hand slipped under the waistband of Steve's sleep pants. He felt Steve stop what he was doing. Danny laughed, "Just checking babe. You were right. I'll always wonder if you're going commando. Nice ass by the way."

Steve was laughing too. He echoed Danny's move. "Right back at you Danno. I think we'd better call a halt to this for now. My mind is getting a little hazy on the go-slow thing. And we've got another full day with Grace. Thanks for sharing her with me."

Danny gave Steve one last kiss. "You're entirely welcome. I think she's having a tough time adjusting to the new baby. She needs all the love and attention we can give her now. You're her Step-Steve now. Yeah, I noticed the promotion. Congratulations! Good night babe."

"Good night Danno." Steve reached over to turn out the light. In a matter of minutes, they were both asleep, still tangled up together.

_*A reference to figure skating competitions. The scale was 1-10, with 10 being the top score. The Russian judges always low-balled the US skaters._

_This is only my second fanfic and my first ever love scene. I wanted to make it feel right. Please be gentle with the reviews._


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Steve's internal alarm clock was working on Sunday morning. It was a little after 6 a.m., fairly close to his normal time to start his run. He had assumed his usual position during the night; he was on his belly with his right arm under the pillow and his left arm slung over the side of the bed. Steve had another arm hanging over his side.

Steve blinked and counted again: still three arms. The third arm had a thick sprinkling of brownish hair and was well-muscled. He knew that arm; the memory of the previous night flooded back. This is Danno's arm. He could feel the length of Danno against his right side. Okay, there was no way Steve was rolling out of bed this early. Steve slowly shifted to his right side, not wanting to rouse Danny from his sleep. He finally got into the position he wanted: big spoon, little spoon, he didn't care. Either way meant he had a warm Danno to cuddle with. Within a few minutes, Steve was asleep again.

Danny woke up a couple of hours later. He was having a really nice dream. There was a nice warm body next to him in bed. Whoever it was would shift every so often, seeking more contact. Danny felt the body shift again and opened his eyes. He saw an expanse of t-shirt, and an arm with a tattoo on the bicep peeking out of a sleeve. Shit, this is McGarrett. He momentarily panicked. He didn't have a hangover, so this wasn't the result of too much alcohol. He wasn't particularly sore anywhere, so they probably hadn't had sex.

"It's okay Danno. Remember breakfast yesterday with Grace; remember last night on the lanai? You moved in my bedroom yesterday; now it's our bedroom." Steve waited patiently for Danny to catch up. "You're the big spoon this morning. You said you wouldn't be the little spoon."

Steve could tell the instant Danny remembered. Danny relaxed and rubbed Steve's belly. "Yeah, I got it. I just got used to waking up in a real bed. It will take me a few days to get used to waking up with a super-SEAL."

Steve was laughing. As Danny talked, the hand in front of Steve was gesturing vintage-Danny motions. Steve grabbed the hand and lifted it up so he could shift to his other side. We wanted to see early-morning Danno. He wondered if Danny would have any second thoughts in the light of day. Steve looked closely at Danny.

Danny's hair was going in a dozen different directions. His stubble was longer than Steve usually saw. His eyes were heavy-lidded. Steve had never seen this Danny before. He was loose and had a look of contentment on his face.

"Yeah, you probably look the same." Danny could see Steve catalog the hair and the beard. He laughed when Steve reached up to smooth his hair down. "You look pretty good to me babe." Danny leaned closer for a good morning kiss. Both men realized that Grace would be up any minute now. Still, this early morning intimacy was too sweet to pass up. They kept the kisses and the touches light.

Around 8:30, they heard the patter of feet in the hall. A door closed; when it re-opened, they could hear the toilet flushing. Then the door to their bedroom opened. Grace timidly asked, "Is it okay if I come in?" Grace knew that it was okay yesterday but she sensed something had changed. Would she be an intruder, the same way she felt with Rachel and Stan?

Steve looked up at her and gave his most charming smile. "Grace, we've been waiting for you to wake up. We can't get up without our morning hug, can we Danno?"

Danny saw the uncertainty in Grace's eyes and his heart melted toward Steve a little more. He knew Steve was telling Grace she would always be welcome wherever they were and whatever they were doing.

Danny and Steve scooted apart to create a Grace-sized space and held their arms open. Grace took a running leap on the bed and was under the sheet in five seconds flat. Steve and Danno kissed Grace on each cheek and they cuddled close together.

"Morning Monkey. Did you sleep well?" Danny always asked Grace the same questions every morning.

"I slept great Danno. Step-Steve, I really like my bed. I like it better than my bed at Mommy's. That one is too soft and…pink." Grace was trying to decide why she liked staying here so much. Maybe it's because she suspects that Step-Steve picked everything out himself just for her.

Steve laughed, trying to decide why pink would make a bed less comfortable. Damned if he didn't agree. "I'm glad to hear that Grace. I walked through the bedding store, asking myself what would Grace like."

He had settled on an ocean motif. The bottom sheet was sand-colored and the top sheet had a wave pattern on it. Grace felt like she was laying on the beach with the water splashing on her. She could faintly hear the sounds from the beach. It was the most peaceful room she ever had.

Grace threw her arms around Steve's neck and hugged him tightly. "It's the best ever. Will it always be my room?"

Steve ran his fingers over her forehead and down her cheek. "It will always be your room Grace. You'll always have a place here with Danno and me." Steve hugged her back now.

"Hey Monkey, do you want to know what we have planned for today? There's a Polynesian fair at the park today. The people will be in authentic costumes. There will be dancing and food and games. How does that sound?" Danny was a little excited about the fair himself. He had spent more than a year hating everything about Hawaii. Now he felt like he was making a new start here. Hawaii is where Steve and Grace are. Hawaii is home now.

The family stayed in bed for a little while longer, enjoying the closeness and the conversation. They talked about nothing and they talked about a little bit of everything. Finally, the need for the bathroom and food drove the men out of bed. Grace went downstairs and searched for morning cartoons.

Danny and Steve took care of their bathroom needs. This time they went in together and finished about the same time. Steve ran an electric shaver over his beard. He had five o'clock shadow on days when he shaved closely. This just kept the stubble to a less irritating length. Danny eyed the shaver and ran his hand over his beard.

"Want to try it? I picked it up in Germany my last time through." Steve offered the shaver to Danny.

"Are you sure it wouldn't mess up the blades?" Danny was uncertain. It wasn't like they were sharing a toothbrush or anything.

"It will be fine Danny, unless you have an extra-thick Superman beard. I have extra blades if I need them. Uh, would you mind if I had my workout now? I missed my usual time this morning. It seems I had a little trouble getting out of bed."

"Why Steven, whatever do you mean?" Danny was grinning at Steve. "Sure, go run and swim. I can get breakfast for Grace and fix some coffee. I wouldn't mind a little workout myself. I need to keep in shape for my new boyfriend."

Now Steve was grinning back. "You look pretty good to me babe. I can grab a granola bar to tide me over until lunch. We could have a late brunch before we go to the fair. It will cut down on the snacks and then we'll get dinner there before we come home."

Steve donned a tank top, board shorts, and running shoes. He grabbed a towel from the hall closet before going downstairs. Danny joined him shortly dressed in a t-shirt, workout shorts, and athletic shoes. They both headed for the kitchen. Grace followed them, curious about what they're up to.

Steve pulled a granola bar from the fridge and filled a water bottle. He saw Grace watching him and explained. "Grace, I missed my workout this morning. Since you're going to be staying so much, I can't skip my workout every day because you're here. I need to be fast and strong for my job. So I'm going out now. I'll be back in about an hour. Okay?"

Grace nodded and asked, "What are you eating?"

"It's a granola bar. I made them last Sunday night so Danno and I could take them for lunch. I'm trying to keep us healthy by packing a good lunch and nutritious snacks. This is also something light I can eat before my workout." Steve wanted to start his run but knew he needed to take time to explain things to Grace. He didn't want her to think he didn't want to have breakfast with her.

Grace looked at Danny (who was busy making coffee) and then back at Steve. Finally, she speared Danny with her laser focus. "Danno, Step-Steve must love you if he's trying to keep you healthy."

Danny froze ever so slightly, then turned to face Grace. "I think you're right Monkey. But that's what families do. They love each other, and try to take care of each other."

Danny thought he had done a good job of handling that question. He wasn't ready for the next one. "Danny, do you love Step-Steve?"

Okay, he should have seen that one coming. He put his hand on his chin and appeared to be weighing his options. Now Steve started to squirm. Finally, Danny gave his answer. "Hmm, I think I must. We are family now."

Before Danny could finish, Grace cut in, "and that's what families do." Grace gave the men a blinding smile. She moved to Danno and reached for a hug. When Danny lifted her, she reached out to Steve. Now the three were in a tight family hug.

She finally pulled back. "Can I have a granola bar too? I want to exercise so I can be strong when I grow up?"

"Sure Monkey, I'll get you a granola bar and a small glass of milk. Then you can put on your exercise clothes and join me in the living room. We'll do some stretching and pull-ups and sit-ups like we did at my old apartment."

Steve looked surprised at this bit of information. Danny raised his eyebrows and shot back, "What, you think I got these abs of steel at the Wal-Mart? Grace and I exercised some when she came over for the weekend. Run along super-SEAL. Grace and I have work to do."

Steve shook his head and laughed. "Danno, you never fail to surprise me. Grace, don't let him slack off. I want you hot and sweaty when I get back."

The look Danny shot him went straight to his groin. Damn, maybe he'll have to skip the run and go right to the swim.

Danny laughed now. "Shoo. Think about filing your expense report or doing your taxes." Danny opened the back door and gave Steve a little push.

"Okay, I'm gone. But you'll pay for that one." Steve was laughing as he started his run. He was still smiling an hour later when he finished his swim. His run had invigorated him, and his mind was on the day's planned activities as he waded ashore.

_Since some of you have asked:_

_Hawaiian Wedding Cake_

_2 cups Flour and Sugar each, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 large can crushed pineapple with juice, and ¾ to 1 cup walnut pieces._

_Mix by hand. Put in well greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees. Frost when cool._

_Cream Cheese Frosting_

_One 8-oz. pkg cream cheese, softened, 1 stick butter (also softened), 2 cups powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla,_

_Beat until smooth and frost cooled cake. Be prepared to amaze your friends and family with your culinary expertise._


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

After brunch, Steve, Danny, and Grace headed to the Polynesian fair. Steve had attended several with his family before his mother died. He was looking forward to sharing this with his new family. The fair was in full swing so they ended up parking in a satellite lot and taking a shuttle to the fair.

Danny paid admission for them. Steve raised an eyebrow at Danny that said, "I thought you were tapped out until payday." Danny shrugged and said, "Got my security deposit back. I should be fine until payday."

They picked up a map and list of show times. For the next couple of hours, they happily wandered the park, watching whatever interested them. It was a hot day and Steve made sure everyone stayed hydrated. They sampled various delicacies from some of the food booths.

Danny was off finding a place to help Grace wash up a little. Steve was leaning against a light post when someone stumbled across his foot. Shit, it's Lori Weston! And he was having such a great day!

Lori started to apologize for stepping on the stranger's foot when she recognized McGarrett. Shit, it's McGarrett! And she was having such a great day! This was a different McGarrett than the one she had seen last week. This McGarrett was wearing cargo shorts (okay, maybe not that different), a loud Hawaiian-print shirt, and flip-flops. He had a contented smirk on his face that quickly disappeared.

"Lori, what are you doing here?"

Steve's eyebrows were now puckered into a frown. Yeah, this is the guy she knew. "Same thing you are, I suspect. I'm enjoying the fair."

Steve tried to get her to move along. This thing with Danny was so new; they didn't need the pressure of close scrutiny by outsiders yet. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow." It was a valiant attempt to escape but Danny and Grace chose that moment to return.

Danny instantly recognized the blonde and knew he had to head Grace off at the pass. "Wow, it looks like everyone is here today. Lori, this is my daughter, Grace. Grace, this is Officer Weston."

Danny waited for Grace to respond. Rachel had been adamant that Grace should learn proper etiquette. He was grateful for that now. "It's nice to meet you Officer Weston. Do you work with…", Grace started her question but Danny interrupted her. He knew he was being rude, but no way in hell did he want her to have finish, "with Danno and Step-Steve."

Danny jumped into the conversation pool quickly. "Officer Weston just started working with 5-0 this week, Grace. Well Lori, we don't want to keep you. See you tomorrow." Steve knew his cue when he heard it. He grabbed Grace's free hand and the trio did their best to disappear into the crowd.

The two men exchanged looks. They both knew it was a narrow escape. "I'm not ashamed Danno. It's just nobody's business. Certainly not hers." Steve spoke so low that Danno barely heard the words.

"I'm not ashamed either Steve. We're family now. And it is nobody's business." Danny kept his words soft to keep Grace from hearing.

There would come a time when it would be apparent that their relationship had changed into something very special. They needed time to demonstrate that while everything had changed outside of 5-0, nothing had changed when they walked through the Palace doors. They would be all business and professional. It would be a struggle. Danny worried about Steve's sometimes reckless behavior before; now, it would be doubly hard. Steve for his part realized that he would have to be more careful; he didn't want Danno and Grace to suffer the kind of loss he and Mary had experienced.

As the afternoon wore on, Steve, Danny, and Grace grew hungry. They found the supper tent and decided to get different entrees. That way they could sample different foods. Danny was surprised how much he had enjoyed the day. He had been so determined to dislike all things local. He knew that was unfair. While Danny had met his share of criminals (the fate of being in law enforcement), he had been impressed with the quiet dignity of the native populace.

"Every year since I can remember, my family would come out and spend a day here. You know this is here for the whole weekend. Mary would take lessons from the dancers. Mom would try to talk some of the vendors out of a recipe if she liked their food. Dad, well, he was a cop. I think he was always on the lookout for a pickpocket or troublemaker." Steve had a fond look on his face now.

"The last time I was here was the year before Mom died. I thought I was too old to hang out with my family. That haunted me for a long time. I didn't think I would ever be able to come here again." Steve saw the instant Danny misunderstood. He went on quickly, "For a long time, looking back only caused me pain. That was wrong. I had a pretty good childhood. Being with you and Grace has helped me remember without the pain. I will always be grateful to you for that gift." Steve put his hand on Danny's now.

That explained a lot, Danny thought. Steve had become more open in the days since he and Grace had moved in. It made sense. He was part of a family now, not as son and brother but as father and…what? Not lover, yet. They couldn't marry in Hawaii, if it came to that. But in 2012, civil unions would be an option. Wow, had he told Steve last night that he couldn't say 'I love you'? Who was he kidding? A part of Danny had always loved Steve. Isn't that why he was always ranting at Steve to wait for backup, to stop taking stupid risks.

Steve was waving his other hand in front of Danny now. "Still with me babe?"

Danny smiled and put his hand on Steve's now. "You're quite welcome Stephen. It's a good thing to have family."

Steve returned Danny's smile. He glanced over at Grace and saw that she had been watching them closely. He would have to remember that in the future. Grace doesn't miss a thing. Steve reached over to clasp Grace's hand with his free hand. "Did you have a good day Grace?"

Grace took Danny's free hand. They were all linked now. "I had a great day Step-Steve. When we come back next year, can I take dance lessons like your sister?"

Steve had his goofy grin on now. Grace was certainly planning ahead. He liked the idea that in a year, they could do this again. They were in this for the long haul. "I think that's a great idea. You look tired. Ready to go home Grace?"

Grace nodded and stifled a yawn. "I don't usually play this hard. There's not a lot to do sometimes on the weekend with Mommy and Step-Stan. Can we go home?"

So they gathered up their belongings and headed for the shuttle area. It was almost an hour before they reached the McGarrett homestead. A sleepy Grace took a quick shower and donned her jammies. Then she sat on the bed to call her mom.

The shower had revived her a little and she was excited to tell her mommy about her day. Grace started at the beginning with a description of how she jumped in bed with Step-Steve and Danno.

"Sweetheart, don't you mean that you and Danno jumped in bed with the commander?" She knew that Grace liked to cuddle in the morning. She wasn't surprised that Grace had extended the ritual with Steve.

"No, Danno is staying in Step-Steve's room now. We moved him in on Saturday." Just as the words left her mouth, Grace heard a little voice echo in her head. "It's nobody's business." Grownups think you're not listening but Grace hears everything. Uh oh, she would have to tell Danno and Step-Steve. She hoped she didn't get in trouble.

Grace went on about the fair and finally wound down after a few minutes. Grace and Rachel said their goodbyes. Before Grace could hang up, Rachel asked if she could talk to Danny. Now Grace was worried. "Mommy, I think he's downstairs. I'll have him call you in a few minutes, okay?" Grace was stalling now. When Rachel agreed, Grace raced down the stairs.

Grace found Danny and Steve busy packing lunches. They were working together but still having a good time.

"Stephen, you are not sneaking pineapple in the salad again."

"No Danno, I'm not. Did you just sneak another piece of chocolate out of the freezer again? Is it your 'time of the month'?"

"If it was, you'd be keeping your ass on your own side of the bed."

"Hey, who was crowding me on my side of the bed this morning?"

"Just remember, I was the big spoon. And you weren't complaining." Danny was laughing now. He couldn't remember when it had been like this with Rachel. He wasn't sure it had ever been like this.

Just then, he looked up and saw Grace standing in the doorway of the kitchen. She had a deer-in-the-headlights look on her face.

Danny was concerned. "What's up Monkey?" He wasn't sure how much she had heard and how much she understood.

Steve turned to face Grace also. "Is something wrong Grace?" He saw a tear track down her cheek. Now he was worried. He walked over to her and lifted her up for a hug. "Hey, what's this?" He gently wiped the tear away.

Danny walked over to join them and ran his hand up and down Grace's back. "Grace, you can tell us anything. Please tell us what is wrong?"

When Grace finally began, her voice was small. "I heard you and Step-Steve say it's nobody's business, when we at the fair. But I didn't think and I told Mommy. She wants you to call her."

The two men exchanged glances that said "We need to be more careful because Grace hears everything." They stepped together to jointly sooth Grace. Finally, Danny asked Steve to take Grace upstairs and start story time. He thought the story might calm her enough so that she would sleep tonight.

Danny steeled himself and dialed Rachel's cell phone. "Hello Daniel. Thanks for calling so promptly."

"Well, I would have called sooner but Steve and I had to calm Grace down. Apparently she thinks she told you something that she shouldn't have. I'm hoping she's wrong."

"Grace did tell me that you and Steve are sharing a room, and a bed. Is she correct?" Rachel was careful to keep her voice neutral.

"Yes she is." Danny waited for what he was sure to be bad news.

"Does he make you happy? I can already tell that he loves Grace."

Danny was a little stunned by the question. He decided to be honest. "Yes, he does. I know it seems impossible, but I'm really happy with Steve."

"Then I'm happy for you both. Maybe it takes another cop to deal with the stress. I know that I just couldn't. Grace sounds happy. You aren't mad at her, are you?" Rachel was concerned for Grace.

"No, of course I'm not mad at her. Thanks Rachel. It means a lot to us. Steve is up reading to her now. I need to go up." Danny finished the call and went upstairs to join Grace and Steve.

Grace looked up when Danny walked in the bedroom. She wasn't crying anymore but she looked worried. "Is everything okay with Mommy?"

Danny gave Grace his most reassuring smile. "Of course it is. Your mom just wanted to make sure we weren't wearing you out too much because we were so busy. I told her that you were in bed on time every night. Is it my turn to read?" Danny sat next to Grace gave her a little hug.

Steve gave Grace an inquiring look and Danny gave him a thumbs-up gesture. Steve pointed to his place in the book and Danny started reading. He finished the chapter and tucked Grace in with the customary kiss and hug. "Danno loves you."

"Love you too Danno."

Steve also gave Grace a goodnight kiss and hug too. "I love you Grace."

"Love you too Step-Steve."

Steve wanted to know more about Danny's conversation with Rachel. He waited until they reached the bottom of the stairs before saying anything, well aware now that Grace must have super-powers that lets her hear everything.

Before Steve could get out his question, Danny pushed him up against the wall for a hot steamy kiss. There was nothing sweet or tentative about this kiss. Steve did his best to keep up but Danny was clearly taking charge tonight. Finally, Danny pulled back and rested his forehead against Steve's chest.

"I came back with Grace at the fair and saw you with Weston. I could only see her face and she was doing the eye-humping thing. All I could think was "no way in hell".

"Danno, you know I'm not interested in her. There's only you babe, only you." Steve pulled Danny in for a tight hug. They stood there like that for a few minutes. Steve knew that Danny's knee must be aching by now after the long day. "Why don't you sit while I finish up in the kitchen? Do you want a beer?" Danny nodded and sank onto the couch.

A few minutes later, Steve joined him and handed Danny a beer. Steve wanted to tell Danny about his conversation with Rachel last Friday. "Rachel sort of gave me the go-ahead to be with you on Friday when we picked Grace up. We hadn't gotten to that point yet so I didn't say anything. Joe White also said something last weekend."

Danny shook his head now. "Was I the last person in Hawaii to find out that we had something going on between us?"

"Don't feel bad. It took me a while to figure it out. All that counts is that we know now."

Steve and Danny talked for a while about the schedule for tomorrow. They needed to leave a little early to have time to drop Grace at Emelina's house. Danny wanted to introduce Steve and make sure that Grace was settled in before they left.

They finally headed upstairs for the night. Danny was feeling more comfortable now sharing such close quarters with Steve. It wasn't so awkward sharing the bathroom anymore, although it was hard not to stare. Steve wasn't self-conscious at all about being nude in front of him. Danny supposed it was all those years in the Navy where privacy came at a premium. Danny wasn't a prude but he was still getting used to the shift in their relationship.

"Do you want to get in the shower first?" Steve's question brought Danny out of his reverie.

"No, go ahead." Danny pulled the bed down and stripped to his boxers. He sat on the bed and massaged his knee. It was sore tonight, not an uncommon occurrence after such a busy weekend. That was how Steve found him a few minutes later.

"You look tired Danno. Why don't you get your shower? We can call it an early night."

Danno nodded his agreement. Fifteen minutes later, both men settled in the big bed. They met in the middle and kissed. They were back to sweet again, Danny's jealousy gone for now. They knew it would be a challenge to keep this part of their lives private from work. For now, they enjoyed expressing their affection. A little while later, Steve snapped off the lamp.

Danny laid there for the longest time, too keyed up to sleep. Finally, he relaxed and knew sleep would come shortly. He stroked Steve's face and whispered "I love you babe" just before nodding off.

In the dark, Steve smiled and joined Danny in slumber.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Since moving back to Hawaii, Steve had looked forward to Monday mornings. The weekends tended to drag on forever, even with the household chores to keep him busy. On this Monday morning, Steve tried to force himself out of bed. It would probably a good thing to get up before Danno woke up.

Danny was the little spoon today. Steve had found himself curled around Danny with their legs tangled up. His hand had snaked underneath Danny's t-shirt and was mostly under the waistband of his sleep pants. Either his hand had wandered south of its own volition, or Danny was curling up to meet it. Okay, he'll never think little spoon in connection with Danny again.

Danny's voice was thick with sleep and arousal. "Did I miss the memo repealing the 'Go-Slow Act'?"

Steve knew he was caught. "I confess to having my hand in a compromising position. But I think you met me halfway babe."

"Guilty as charged. Are you going to cuff me? Shit, I did not say that aloud, did I?" Danny was caught between embarrassment and pleasure.

"Maybe we do need to revisit the go-slow policy." Steve tried to withdraw his hand but Danny kept it in place. "It's getting harder to stop. I'm getting tired of taking cold showers. And I think I'm getting tendonitis in my right hand. Steve was whining now.

"I think maybe we could pick up a little speed. But please by all that is holy do not leave me hanging here." Danny turned to meet Steve in a hard kiss. It would be another twenty minutes before Steve made it out of bed to work out. But at least he wouldn't need a cold shower when he came in. And both men started the day with a smile, a really big smile!

Danny got up after Steve left for his run. He needed another shower and a shave. Then he quickly dressed and went downstairs to start the coffee. It was still too early to wake Grace, so Danny took his coffee outside and waited for the sun to rise. It was peaceful and Danny was grateful for the opportunity to gather his thoughts.

This morning had been amazing. He was waiting for the panic to hit but it didn't come. He supposed that both of them were ready to move their relationship along. Maybe the last few months could be considered foreplay. He had seen McGarrett nude a few times and wanted to touch. He knew that touching would lead to more and was having trouble finding a problem with that. When his coffee cup was empty, Danny went into the kitchen to assemble lunches and start breakfast.

Grace wasn't quite ready to get up but she was excited to spend the day with her friend, Ali. Danny went through the dresser, trying to find something Grace could play in. Most of the clothes were too fussy or just too expensive. Danny finally found a shirt and shorts that would do for today.

As Danny laid them on the bed he asked, "Grace, what do you say we get you some play clothes after work? You need to be able to run and play without worrying about grass stains or getting something torn."

Grace hugged Danny and agreed. "I'd like that Danno. Mommy gets mad when I get my good clothes dirty. Can I leave them here for when I come back?"

"That would be the whole point. Maybe we can pick up something quick for dinner and then do our shopping. We'll probably have to bring Step-Steve with us. Do you think he can handle being in the girl's section of the Target?"

Grace laughed now. "I don't know Danno. He's a SEAL. He'll just have to 'man-up'."

"Grace Lynn Williams, where did you learn that term?" Danny wasn't really upset but was curious.

"From the TV. Mommy is still feeling sick sometimes and the housekeeper is the only other person there during the day. Mommy said Step-Stan had to let the others go. There isn't as much money since Step-Stan isn't traveling anymore." Grace wasn't sure she was supposed to tell Danno, but she hated keeping secrets.

"Well, try not to use that term anymore, okay?" Grace quickly dressed and the pair headed toward the kitchen.

Steve was coming up the steps for his shower when Danny and Grace were heading down. Danny wagged his finger at Steve and warned, "Dry people here. Get cleaned up or there will be no hugs and kisses this morning." Danny patted Steve on the ass as he passed. Both were laughing.

"Yes dear" Steve said in his most charming voice just to annoy Danny. He hurried through his morning routine and came down just as Danny was putting three bowls of oatmeal on the table. Steve went to Grace first and stooped down to get his morning kiss and hug. Then he turned to Danny and got a morning kiss and hug from him.

While they ate, Danny told Steve about Grace's bravery in facing Ali's bullies. Then he explained the need for a shopping expedition that evening. Danny expected a protest, or at least that Steve would beg off with some excuse.

Instead, Steve agreed that Grace needed some play clothes and probably an extra bathing suit or two. "I hate putting a damp bathing suit on, don't you Grace?" Steve wanted to hit the picture frame department too. He had snapped some pictures over the weekend of his family and sent the images to the local Walgreen's to be printed. He wanted to put some of the pictures around the house and maybe a small one discretely on his desk at work.

Steve and Danny had worked out an amiable morning routine last week, but Grace added a new element. The detour to the Hookala home didn't take long. Danny introduced Steve to Emelina and Ali. Emelina and Ali had heard a lot about McGarrett from Chin and Kono and were anxious to meet him. Steve was on his best behavior and allowed himself to be dragged back to the playroom by the girls while Danny and Emelina went over the last few details.

When Danny finally went back to drag Steve out, he found the super-SEAL showing the girls how to strategically set up Barbie's dream house for the best defense against the evil Ken's. Danny pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. It would be great blackmail material for later.

It was another slow day at HQ. Steve tried to reach Kono again without any luck. Chin just shook his head when asked if he had talked to her. Steve did arrange to meet Joe White at the SEAL Training Grounds early tomorrow morning. Lori Weston came by to ask if he had enjoyed the fair. Steve said that he had and then changed the subject. He didn't want to field questions about being with Danny and Grace yesterday. It wasn't that he disliked Lori; it was more that he didn't trust her. He knew that only time would tell if Lori was trustworthy.

By quitting time, all the old paperwork had been updated and filed. Tomorrow, they would have a clean slate. If nothing big popped, they would start going over cold cases. Steve and Danny were right on time to pick up Grace.

They stopped at a noodle house for dinner, and then went to pick up Steve's prints before heading to Target. The girl's department was close to the front of the store. It only took 30 minutes to find the clothes. Steve met them in the front with his own cart full of assorted items: picture frames, a couple of throw pillows he thought would look nice in Grace's room, some GI Joes to help the girls defend the Barbie house, and another bag of Peppermint Patties for the freezer. Danny shook his head at the odd combination of goods. "You're impossible Steven. And please don't spoil our kid."

It still gave Steve a thrill when Danny referred to Grace as 'ours'. He had his kicked puppy look on now and whined "but Danno, I've missed all her birthdays".

"You are such a goof, isn't he Grace?" Danny brought Grace into the mock argument. "I guess that's why I love you so much." When Danny saw the look on Steve's face, he remembered that he hadn't shared that piece of information with Steve yet. That is, if you don't count last night when he was sure that Steve was asleep.

Steve quietly moved next to Danny and whispered, "I love you too Danny." Then they shared a brief hug, right in the middle of the Target. Grace wasn't sure what had happened but she joined in the hug, not wanting to be left out.

When the trio made it home, it was still early enough to play on the beach for a little while. Grace put on one of her new swim suits and played in the surf with Steve and Danny. Finally they headed in for the night. Steve showered while Danny helped Grace with her hair. Then Grace came down to keep Steve company as he finished preparing lunches while Danny showered.

Then Steve and Grace put some of the prints in frames and spread them around the house. There were a few with all three in the picture; they had gotten someone nearby to snap the photos. Grace's favorite was one of all of them trying their hand at a native dance. Even the men were wearing props. The result was priceless. Grace wanted that one for her room. Steve put one aside for their bedroom and another couple for Steve and Danny's desk. Steve relished the little pockets of time he had with Grace on his own. She's a very bright and compassionate child with a little bit of mischief on the side. She must get that from Danny.

Finally it was story time. Grace was sandwiched between Step-Steve and Danno while the men took turns reading the story. Then they said good night and Steve and Danny stepped into the hall. As Danny walked by their bedroom, it was Steve's turn to push his partner through the doorway and against the wall.

"You said you love me yesterday morning. That was for Grace. You said it last night and again today at Target. Tell me you mean it." Steve's hands bracketed Danny's face as he searched Danny's eyes for the truth.

"You heard me last night and didn't say anything. " Danny was puzzled now.

"I wanted you to tell me when you were ready for me to hear it," Steve explained.

"In the case, Steven McGarrett, I love you. I guess I probably have for a while and just never stopped to consider it. I mean, you weren't into guys. Neither was I. What was the point?"

Steve took a half-step toward Danny and gave him a long hot kiss. Steve finally backed away. "I need to lock up downstairs and set the alarm. Think about what you want for tonight while I'm gone."

Steve went slowly downstairs and made his rounds. He wasn't sure what he would find when he returned upstairs. He smiled when he walked into the bedroom. Danny was propped up in the bed, his t-shirt gone. Steve saw it on a nearby chair, along with Danny's sleep pants and boxers. With a quick grin, Steve locked the bedroom door and peeled his clothes off.

Whatever else would happen, Steve and Danno were together now, in every way that counts. Much later, they washed up, donned their sleep clothes, and unlocked the bedroom door in case Grace needed them during the night. It had been a very good day, especially for a Monday. Tuesday would turn out to be a not-so-good day.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

_Spoiler Alert! Details from Episode 3, Kame'e are contained in this story._

Steve knew he would have to start waking up earlier in the morning. Rolling out of bed wasn't so easy with a warm Danno still there. There was a flurry of activity to get everyone up, fed, and out the door on time. Grace looked great in her new clothes. Step-Steve discussed where she and Ali should deploy the 'Joes' to protect the Barbie's while they ate breakfast. Danny could only shake his head in disbelief.

Danny headed out with Grace while Steve drove to meet Joe White. Steve owed the older man a debt for his part in exonerating Steve. More than that, Joe was filling in the gaps Steve had concerning his father. Steve was bringing one of his father's old rifles for target practice. Practice went very well, but the high point of the morning came when Joe told Steve he was staying on in Hawaii. Things were just getting better in Steve's life.

The high only lasted minutes when Joe received a phone call about the death of a SEAL Joe and Steve met the widow at the morgue; Joe refuses to believe the death was a suicide and asks Steve to look into the matter. Steve knows the new governor might not approve; he also feels that he owes it to a man who served his country so bravely. Steve convinces Max to re-open the case and Joe agrees that he will abide by the second opinion.

Joe gives Steve all the information he has on the dead SEAL as they head back to HQ. Steve isn't happy to see Lori but introduces her to Joe. He wonders if she is going to report this to the governor. Abiding by the rules is one thing. He cannot tolerate being micro-managed. A short while later, Max comes in dressed like Inspector Gadget. Max is a little quirky but brilliant at his job. Sure enough, the death was a homicide. Now Steve can put his staff to work on the case.

As Steve is handing out assignments, Chin comes in. He had confronted Kono this morning to no avail. He would be joining Steve and Joe on a trip to the crime scene while Danny and Lori interviewed the widow. Steve really wanted Danny with him but Chin knew the area better and Danny's knee would be a problem on the uneven terrain.

Steve and Joe had no problem finding the campsite; it was the same spot they would have picked. They found evidence that the SEAL had been drinking and that there was some sediment left in the bottle. Red clay on the man's shoes indicated that he had strayed from the immediate area.

Chin led the group to a location with red clay and would have activated a booby trap if Steve hadn't stopped him. Joe and Steve deactivated the explosive charge, wondering who would do this in such a peaceful setting. Then they spotted the surveillance cameras focused on marijuana plants camouflaged by the forest growth. This was a promising lead so Steve and Joe set their own trap.

Chin watched in amazement as the former SEALs snared the pot farmers. He remembered the case earlier in the year where McGarrett went after three assassins solo. One man came back with a busted ribcage and a chest tube. Now Chin thought he had an idea how that might have occurred.

The team had to call for back-up to transport the prisoners to HQ. It was only early afternoon and they'd already had a full day. The prisoners admitted to seeing the SEAL but denied killing the man. They did report seeing another haole in the area around the same time and Steve hoped video footage would be helpful.

Danny and Lori got little from the widow except that she didn't love her husband any longer. That led to an uncomfortable conversation for Danny with Lori in the Camaro. God, he missed Steve at times like this. He just let Lori go on with her observations and prayed that she would not persist in profiling them all.

Danny can't resist teasing Steve about Lori when they met later. The fingerprints on the liquor bottle from the crime scene point to the widow's boss, and further analysis revealed the presence of a powerful anesthetic. Danny is relieved to be partnered with Steve for this interview. Steve got a little rough with the man although Danny knew he was pretty restrained for McGarrett.

On the trip back to HQ, Danny was thinking about how the SEAL had tried to save his marriage. Danny starts talking about how the victim had taken leave to save his marriage. He thinks that his marriage might have been saved if he had taken a leave of absence from his job. Danny is pretty wound up just thinking about it. Even though Danny's feeling much better about his life these days, the failed reconciliation still stings. Steve is glad that Danny is driving; it seems to settle him a little. Steve tries not to take anything personally. He knows that Danny and Grace will be there when he gets home tonight. And Danny will be in their bed tonight.

Steve gets a call from Max again with a request to bring Joe to the morgue. Steve, Danny, and Joe head over, wondering what the problem is now. It turns out that another SEAL is dead, this time by a faked accident. Someone is killing members of SEAL Team 9. It's getting late so Danny heads out to pick up Grace. Steve and Joe head back to the naval base to confer with a commander there. It was a frustrating trip. The commander wouldn't give them any information although he did promise to round up the remainder of SEAL Team 9. He also asked to meet them later for a drink.

It was a long day for Joe and Steve. They got a discrete tip on who might be gunning for the SEALs. Steve stopped by HQ to ask Chin to run the data before heading home for the night. Grace was already in bed but had asked that Steve come in anyway to say goodnight. Steve thought she was asleep but she hugged him when he bent to kiss her.

"I missed you today Step-Steve." She patted his face while she spoke.

"I missed you too Grace. How did the 'Joes' work out for you and Ali?" Steve loved being part of this particular game.

"It was great. Barbie is dating one of the 'Joes' now. The evil Ken's are toast." Grace giggled now, also enjoying the game.

"Well, it's time for you to go to sleep. I love you Grace." Steve gave her one last hug.

"I love you too Step-Steve." Grace turned over and went back to sleep.

Steve went back downstairs and into the kitchen. Danny put a bowl of soup and a beer on the table, then motioned for Steve to sit. Danny brought his own bottle and sat down to join Steve. Between bites, Steve went over the high points of the evening's activities.

"I didn't mean to go off like that in the car today. I don't want you to think I'm not happy with you here." Danny thought about his words that afternoon and realized that ranting about his marriage was a bad habit he needed to break. The heat and the pain he had felt in the past were gone.

"It's okay Danno. It's like I understand now why Dad sent Mary and I away after Mom died. He did it because he loved us and wanted to protect us. It still hurts, but I understand now." Steve was holding Danny's hand now. He had really missed Danny and Grace today. He leaned over to kiss Danny. He had wanted to do this in the Camaro.

Steve finished his soup and drained the rest of his beer. He loaded the dishes into the dishwasher and set the timer to start in an hour. He wiped the table and took Danny's empty bottle. "Have you had your shower yet?"

When Danny shook his head, Steve asked if he was interested in saving a little water by sharing a shower. Danny grinned now and raced Steve to the stairs. Steve could strip faster than anyone Danny had ever been with. Danny was a close second only because he didn't need to empty his pockets. Steve was waiting for the water to warm up when Danny walked into the bathroom.

"You did good today babe. You didn't mess up the nice man who apparently did not kill our victim. No one was shot or beaten today. I think you deserve a reward." Danny was smirking now; he could see Steve was 'standing' at attention.

"I'll have you know that I respond very well to positive reinforcement." Steve was smiling now, sure that he was going to like whatever Danny had planned.

Danny glanced down and shot back, "From where I'm standing, you don't need any reinforcement."

Steve could feel the steam now, and not all of it was coming from the shower stall. "The water's warm. Are you going to stand there all night?" Steve opened the shower door and walked in, leaving the door partly open for Danny.

Danny came in and closed the door. The men came together in a tight embrace. Sex under the covers is one thing. This was happening in the bright bathroom lighting. They couldn't get close enough, touch all the places they wanted to touch. This was what they needed after the frustrations of the day.

The water was starting to cool when Steve finally turned off the shower. He and Danny were still a little breathless. They grabbed their towels and stepped into the cooler bedroom. "I'm sorry I ran so late tonight Danny. Thanks for fixing me something to eat." Steve wanted Danny to know how much he appreciated him.

"You're welcome. And it couldn't be helped. Did you know either of the dead men?" Danny had been waiting to ask the question all day.

"No I didn't, although I know some of the other members of SEAL Team 9. It really hurts to think that they survived all their other missions on foreign soil and now someone is killing them on my island." Steve was furious that his fellow SEALs were being targeted.

Danny walked over to Steve now and pulled him in for a hug. "Hey, it's not your fault. And if it weren't for you and Joe, no one would even be aware of the danger to the remaining team. And maybe tomorrow, we'll get the bad guys."

Steve rested his forehead on Danny's. "I know. This part of the job just frustrates me. And I missed you and Grace today, missed having dinner with you. Tomorrow will probably run long too. I'm not used to having a family to come home to. I really like it."

"Yeah, me too. We should get some sleep, now that we're both pretty relaxed." Danny and Steve hung up their towels and brushed their teeth. They dressed for bed and made one last check on Grace. Then it was lights out. Steve settled on his back and drew Danny in for a good night kiss. Danny threw his arm around Steve's torso and a leg over Steve's thigh. They were still in that position when Steve woke the next morning.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Steve's shoulder and arm was numb when he awoke on Wednesday. Danny's head had been resting there all night. Steve shifted until he was free and got up to start his morning routine. His side of the bed was cool when the alarm woke Danny.

At first, Danny thought that Steve had already gone for the day. Then he heard Steve come in through the kitchen; he must have stopped to start the coffee because it was a few minutes before Steve made it upstairs.

"Wow, I must have really been tired. You didn't wake me when you got up this morning." Danny was still a little groggy.

"I got up a little earlier than usual. It won't take me long to get ready. Can I wake Grace up this morning? I really missed her last night."

"Sure, I know how you feel. For the longest time after the divorce, I had a hard time getting started in the morning without a morning hug. Same thing happened at night; I couldn't get to sleep without a good night hug. Being with her like this has been great. I feel like a father again."

"Well, I'm not trying to take your place. I don't need to wake her up today." Steve was afraid he had crossed an invisible line and didn't want to upset Danny.

"No, you do it. It's enough to know that she's down the hall and I can fix her breakfast, see her off for the day. And I know that you're not trying to take my place. We're just sharing, the way you're sharing the house with us. You have a house, I have Grace. It's perfect." Danny beamed at Steve now.

Steve leaned over to give Danny a sweet kiss, careful not to get salt water on him. "Yeah, it is perfect." It didn't take Steve long to shower and shave. The coffee was ready and it smelled like Danny was cooking up something delicious for breakfast. Steve's stomach was growling by the time he got to Grace's room.

Steve walked over and sat on the side of the bed. He stroked Grace's hair and spoke gently. "Grace, it's time to wake up. Danno is fixing breakfast for us."

Grace woke up and was happy to see Step-Steve. She had missed him last night and vaguely remembered his good night hug. "Good morning Step-Steve. Can you stay and eat with us? I missed you last night."

Steve smiled and answered "Yes, I can eat breakfast with you and Danno. And I missed you last night too." Steve pulled the little girl in for a tight hug.

"Can you help me make my bed and braid my hair?" Grace asked Steve, assuming that he was filling in for all of Danny's morning duties.

"Uh, yes to making the bed. Grace, I've never braided hair before. I'm not sure my fingers will work this early in the morning. How about a pony tail? I think I can manage that?" Steve offered the alternative hopefully. He really wanted to get this right.

Grace giggled now. "That's okay Step-Steve. You should have seen my hair the first time Danno braided it. My teacher had to fix it for me before school started. Maybe Danno can give you a lesson. I like wearing a pony tail too."

So Steve and Grace made the bed. Then he brushed her hair out; it was so soft and shiny. Steve felt like he had ten thumbs instead of just two, but he managed a respectable pony tail. Then Grace went off to brush her teeth. Steve returned to his room to gather up his badge, gun, and other assorted items that fit into his cargo pants. By the time he had made his bed, Grace was dressed so they walked to the kitchen together.

"There you are. I thought that I might have to eat these pancakes all by myself. Good morning Monkey." Danny came over to greet Grace with a hug and a kiss. He gave Steve a good morning kiss and asked, "Trouble with the braids?"

"No, I thought Grace might want a different look this morning". Steve gave Danny a convincing smile while he was lying through his teeth about Grace's hair style. He knew Danny wouldn't buy it, but it was worth a shot.

"Uhhuh, sure. Should we give him hair style lessons Grace?" Danny couldn't resist teasing Steve. He was good at so many things that it was a relief to find there were a few holes in his areas of expertise.

Grace scolded Danny now. "Danno, you remember your first time. Don't give Step-Steve a hard time! He did a good job on my pony tail." Grace held up her pony tail to illustrate her point.

"Yeah, let's not pick on the new dad here. There's a learning curve!" Steve protested with a smile. He enjoyed this part of family life, the good-natured teasing. No one teased a SEAL commander, no one except his family. It was bringing a balance to his life that he had sorely missed.

Ordinarily, Steve would have needed a couple of hours at least to decompress after a day like yesterday. Then he would have fallen into a restless sleep punctuated by nightmares from some of his own missions. Instead, he had a cuddle with Grace, a bowl of soup, and a very steamy shower with Danny. Once he had made it to bed, he fell asleep quickly with Danny wrapped around him. This morning he felt refreshed and ready to handle another difficult day.

Danny's pancakes were wonderful, part mix and part fresh bananas. Steve and Danny discussed whether they would need to work late. Danny insisted that he wanted to stay today and finish with the team if possible. He had cleared it with Emelina yesterday evening and discussed it with Grace. Steve accepted Danny's decision with reluctance, although he insisted that they take both vehicles in case an emergency came up.

Danny went upstairs to get ready for work and pack extra clothes in case Grace needed to sleep over at the Hookala's. Steve and Grace cleaned up the kitchen, and then Steve packed some snacks for later in the day. He doubted they would have much time for lunch unless they ate something on the run. He also packed a couple of protein drinks just in case.

By the time that Steve had poured two cups of coffee to go, Danny was downstairs and the little group prepared to leave. Steve gave Grace and Danny a kiss and hug before he drove off. Danny gave Grace an extra kiss and hug before leaving her with Emelina and Ali. "Danno loves you Grace."

"I love you too Danno." Grace was enjoying her week with Danno and Step-Steve a lot. Things were still kind of awkward between her mommy and Step-Stan. Sometimes when she walked into the living room, Rachel and Stan would stop talking or change the subject. Both seemed really tense, and that made Grace tense too.

It was not that way with Danno and Step-Steve. They were always happy when she joined them; they always included her in the conversation and explained what they were doing. Step-Stan was nice to her, but she can tell that Step-Steve really loves her. He helped her make the bed this morning, and had fumbled with her hair until it was just right. Step-Stan had never helped her do either. And Step-Steve had said he was a new dad this morning, her new dad. Not a dad to replace Danno but another person to love both her and Danno.

She loved spending her days with Ali and her mother. There was a playroom where the girls created imaginary games (like the epic battle of Barbie's and Joe's vs. the evil Ken's). She hoped to play this game at home with Step-Steve soon. There was a playscape in the backyard that Ali's father and uncles had built for her. The girls spent a lot of time crawling around and climbing up the structure. Grace was really happy to have play clothes she could actually play in.

When Grace mentioned to Ali that Step-Steve was part of her family with Danno, Ali didn't seem surprised or upset. Ali thought it was cool for Grace to have an extra dad to love her, especially since Grace didn't have much family on the island. Ali had been charmed the first morning when Step-Steve played with their Barbies' and Kens' (although he called it a strategic op, whatever that was).

By 8:30 a.m., the team and Joe were assembled around the big table for Chin's briefing. SEAL Team 9 had apparently taken down a drug cartel, killing the leader. Now his brother was taking revenge. The surveillance video from the pot farmers gave them a face, and the wizardry of facial recognition software spit out a name: Hector Ruiz. Lori's ties with Homeland Security came in handy as a credit check against one of Ruiz's yielded a probable address.

Steve, Danny, Chin, Joe, and Lori raided Ruiz's little house. They carefully cleared the area, mindful of the dangerous assassin's reputation. Ruiz was gone but they found a staggering amount of intel on the SEAL team and one very interesting file on 'Operation Strawberry Field' that involved a certain Lt. Commander McGarrett.

Steve was appalled to find the classified data there. Danny glanced over the papers interestedly and commented that Ruiz must have unclassified it. Steve snatched the file before Danny could get any important details. Then Joe reported that SEAL Team 9 was secure except for one member, Lt. Bradley Jacks. Jacks was scheduled to sky dive that morning and wasn't answering his cell.

The team hastily headed to Dillingham Air Field. Steve boarded a plane in hopes of spotting Ruiz or Jacks. Chin and Danny waited at the air field to intercept Ruiz when he returned. Lori called for HPD backup. Joe watched the skies for a sign of a skydiver.

Steve was in SEAL mode now. He had trained for this kind of rescue. How many times had his team chased each other in the sky, trying to hook on to a 'victim' with a bad chute? Finally, the other plane was in sight. Steve hitched a breath when he saw Jacks fall lifelessly from the plane, more than likely pushed by Ruiz.

Steve was out of the plane just seconds behind Jacks. It had been a while since he had jumped like this, and he had trouble hanging onto Jacks. Usually the other diver could help with the rescue. Jacks was buffeted by the turbulence, but Steve was finally able to hook up securely. He could see that he was almost at minimum chute deployment level and quickly pulled the cord.

Meanwhile, Ruiz was landing back at the air strip, satisfied with another dead SEAL. As he deplaned, Chin and Danny ordered him to stay where he was and show his hands. Ruiz would not go down without a fight, one that ended with his death. Chin and Danny fired as Ruiz went for his gun, even as HPD was speeding to the scene.

Joe had been watching the sky and was relieved to see the open chute with two bodies attached. He drove the Camaro quickly to the landing spot. McGarrett was a little out of breath as he pronounced Jacks 'alive'. It had been an amazing rescue.

Much later in the day, the team was escorted into a secure area at Pearl Harbor. Joe White was in uniform and acting as their escort. Danny was proud that Steve had saved the SEAL and a little pissed off that Steve would take a risk like that. Steve had tried to explain that he had trained for such a maneuver. Danny knew this kind of situation would come up and had hoped he would have time to adjust to his feelings for Steve before then.

"Are you ready for the Magical Mystery Tour?" Joe's comment was in reference to Danny's questions about 'Operation Strawberry Field'. The 5-0 team was in awe of the Naval Situation Room. The commander congratulated Steve and 5-0 on an 'outstanding' job. The intel their team had recovered from the Ruiz house had yielded the location of the Alvaro compound. They watched in silence as a SEAL team executed 'Operation Payback'. The SEALs raided the compound, ultimately killing the man who had ordered the execution of SEAL team 9.

For Danny, it was a poignant insight into the past of his lover and partner. For the rest of the team, it was a demonstration of the power of a well trained SEAL team. "I'm glad you're on our team", Chin murmured. "Me too", agreed Lori.

It was a good day for 5-0. Well, a good day except for Kono. She was hacking into the HPD database, using Chin's password. She was desperate to re-join her teammates at 5-0. They were also feeling the loss. Part of their family was missing and they wondered if they would ever get her back.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

It was late by the time that Danny and Steve cleared HQ. On the way back from Pearl Harbor, Steve had received a phone call from Governor Denning. He congratulated Steve and the team on an outstanding job, his words echoing those from the SEAL commander. Somehow, it meant more coming from the SEAL. He was grateful that the governor recognized the team's accomplishment. The governor even mentioned that he appreciated how difficult it must have been for Max to second guess his boss.

Then the governor gave the team a little gift. "I don't want any of your team in tomorrow before noon. That should give you enough time to have your reports to me by the end of the day. How is Officer Weston working out?"

"Her contacts at Homeland Security were very helpful sir. Has she reported any difficulty?" After years of black ops, Steve was experienced at getting information without giving any.

"Officer Weston has not reported anything to me. I wanted to know if she was fitting in with your team satisfactorily." After years in politics, the governor was also experienced at getting information without giving any.

"Officer Weston's performance is satisfactory at this time. I will take up any issues I might have with Officer Weston's performance with Officer Weston." If Lori wasn't giving Denning any information, he'd be damned if he did. "My team will appreciate the time off. Thank you sir."

Danny also received a phone call on the way back to HQ. Rachel was calling. BS, that is Before Steve, he might have let it go to phone mail. Instead, he answered promptly. "Rachel, is everything okay?"

"Yes, Danny. I spoke to Grace. She is still with her friend and said she might have to stay the night."

Danny was quick to interrupt. "No, it was a possibility this morning, but I'll be picking her up shortly. I'm meeting Steve back at HQ and we're going to pick her up together."

Rachel was quick to respond, "Danny, that wasn't criticism. I'm calling for a big favor. I know that you and the commander are still in the early stages of your relationship and you probably are looking forward to having the weekend to yourselves. Stan and I have an opportunity to go to the Big Island for a couples retreat. We're really struggling and it's causing a lot of tension for me and Grace. Could you possibly keep her for the weekend? You could drop her off late Sunday or early Monday. I will take the next weekend if you wish, or you could have her for that weekend also."

Rachel finally ran out of steam. Before she could catch her breath, Danny piped in. "Rachel, I will always take Grace any time I can have her. It has been the greatest gift to have her with me like this."

Rachel wanted to be sure. "Shouldn't you ask Steve first?"

Danny hoped that Steve would agree with him because he would never turn down time with his baby girl. "If Steve and I are going to be together, he has to be 'all in' on this. Do you want to tell her or should I tell her when we pick her up tonight."

"I trust you to tell her and not make me the bad guy. Thank you Danny." And just like that, Rachel was gone and Grace was staying the weekend.

Steve was waiting for Danny in the 5-0 parking lot. The man drives like a maniac, Danny thought. Danny wasn't sure if Steve would be upset that Grace was staying a few extra days. He put the car in park and was preparing to give up the driver's spot to Steve. Steve was in the passenger seat before Danny could even open his door.

"Let's go pick up Grace. I've got some good news and some great news. First, the governor thinks we did an outstanding job. Second, we have the morning off. We don't have to be in until noon tomorrow. That means we can keep Grace up a little later tonight and visit with her. And we can sleep in tomorrow morning and have our morning cuddle in bed before starting the day. That's okay, isn't it? That Grace stays up a little late?" Now Steve was a little nervous. He wasn't sure how strict Grace's bedtime was.

Danny was a little stunned. They get the morning off and the first thing Steve thinks of is spending extra time with Grace. Suddenly, he wasn't worried about Steve's reaction to the extra days with Grace. He remembered this morning that Steve had called himself a 'new dad'. It sort of went by him then with the rush to get out the door. Now he's so happy that this man is the new love of his life. They might be unconventional, but they are a family.

"Danny, we can just take Grace home and tuck her in. I don't want to undermine your rules." Steve was still new to this and so anxious not to screw it up.

"Steven, it's wonderful that we have the morning off and I don't think it will traumatize Grace if we let her stay up with us for a little while. And I've got good news and great news too. First, Rachel called and has asked us to keep Grace this weekend. We don't have to take her back until Monday morning. Second, we can still keep her the next weekend too."

Steve had his happy, goofy grin back. He pumped his fist in the air, as much as the Camaro allowed anyway. "That's great babe. We have to find something special to do. I don't care about spoiling her. We should celebrate being together. Families do that sometimes, don't they?"

"Yeah babe, they do. We can think about it in the morning. Let's go get our girl." Danny had called Emelina earlier to let her know that they would be picking Grace up. She already had her supper and bath and was waiting in clean clothes for Danny and Steve. She raced to meet them when they came in the door.

Emelina was gratified to see the family come together. She had quickly grown fond of Grace and respected the bond between Grace and both men. She was sure that Steve and Danny hadn't been a couple for long and was impressed with the ease between Steve and Grace. Danny quietly explained that Grace wouldn't be over until almost noon the next day. He wanted to surprise Grace with the news later.

Steve and Danny hadn't eaten much all day and called in an order for Chinese food to take home. They ordered Grace the lo mein she loved so much. Grace was happily reporting her day's activities, including another GI Joe victory against the rebellious Ken dolls.

"Step-Steve, Ali and I need your help with our strategy again. Could you play with me again next weekend when I come back?" Danny almost choked at the notion of Steve with the action figures and Grace's dolls. Then he got a goofy grin. Danny knew that Steve would agree and promised himself that he would not tease about it…much. Maybe he would snap a photo if he got the chance.

Steve looked over at Danny for his okay to give Grace the good news. Danny nodded his assent. "Grace, I don't think that I can do that next weekend. Your mom is letting you stay this weekend too so we can do that on Saturday."

Grace let out a squeal of delight. Steve ducked in the restaurant to collect their food and then they were home at last. Grace was out of the car quickly and jumping with excitement at the idea of spending the weekend here. She missed her mommy but she had missed Danno for so long. And she had such a crush on Step-Steve. He was so handsome, like the Prince in the fairy tales she read. He was always teasing Danno, who looked really happy.

Danny and Steve finally got Grace in the front door and they were sitting around the table in minutes. Grace had a small plate of lo mein while Steve and Danny used chopsticks to eat their meal, often sampling food out of the other's carton. Danny told Grace she could stay up a little late because the men didn't need to be in the office until noon. Grace asked about their day, but neither could think of anything to say that wouldn't give her nightmares. Instead, they said that they had caught the bad guys and that their boss was really happy with them.

With their meal finished and the kitchen cleaned up, the family adjourned upstairs. Grace brushed her teeth while the men unloaded their pockets and secured their weapons. They met up in Grace's bedroom, ready for story time. It took a couple of extra chapters before Grace was finally sleepy enough for lights out. Danny and Steve both gave Grace an extra hug and kiss before leaving.

When they reach their bedroom, Danny locked the bedroom door. Then he moved in to hold Steve close. "Tomorrow we're going to talk about the insanity of flying through the air and shackling an unconscious man to you. For now, I just want to hold you."

Steve banded his arms around Danny and responded. "Tomorrow we're going to talk about how scared I was knowing you were going after Ruiz. For now, just hold me." The men stood like that for a while. Finally Danny asked, "I really want to wash the day off. Mind if I go first, or do you want to join me? I'm not sure we're conserving any water, but I'll wash your back." Danny waggled his eyebrows suggestively at the last comment.

"I like the way you think Detective Williams. Does that mean I get to wash yours?" Steve was smirking now. Somehow, Danny didn't think that Steve was thinking about his back at the moment.

"That's the idea babe." Danny was peeling of his clothes and actually beat Steve to the shower. Unlike the last time they shared the shower, this time was slow and sweet. Danny had been a pitcher on the high school team and understood the value of a change-up pitch. Danny was in control tonight and it took all of Steve's control to let him keep it. The water was tepid by the time Danny shut the shower off.

The men brushed their teeth, dressed, and unlocked the door before climbing into bed. Steve turned the light off but they talked for a while before going to sleep. Danny told Steve that he was doing a great job as a new dad. That made Steve choke up a little. He never expected to be a dad of any kind, didn't think he be a very good dad.

"When Rachel called today to ask me about the weekend, I accepted without thinking about whether you would want Grace here this weekend. Rachel asked if I needed to check with you first. I never even thought about it. At the time, I wondered if I was being selfish. I realize now that I just knew that you wanted Grace here as much as I do. I don't think things are very good at Rachel's now. I think Grace knows that. You've given her a place where she can relax and be loved. That's the best gift you will ever give her."

"She's made me a dad. That's the best gift she will ever me. It's really hard balancing work with family. I don't know how you did it by yourself since the divorce." Steve was enjoying this time with Danny. Passions had been spent and now they had the easy intimacy of pillow talk, curled into each other with legs tangled together. Every now and then, one would reach out to stroke a cheek, an arm, a hip.

Finally, the conversation drifted off and they slept.

_I know I'm posting the chapters very quickly but I think I've lost control of the story. Steve, Danny, and Commander Grace are in charge now._


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Steve awoke shortly after dawn on Thursday. Danny was sleeping on his back, taking all of his side and some of Steve's side of the bed. Steve studied his partner; Danny was like a perpetual motion machine. His face showed every emotion and he used his hands to communicate as much as he used his words. Now his face was slack; he looked younger and vulnerable.

Steve had slept long enough and was itching to start his day, yet he wanted his morning time with Danny and Grace. He decided he had enough time for both and slipped out of bed. He quietly changed and headed out to start his run. He felt loose and relished the burn in his muscles as he extended his run. His morning swim topped off the ritual workout. He reviewed the events of the last couple of weeks as he swam and couldn't believe how quickly his life had changed.

One day he was in jail, charged with two murders. In a matter of days, he was cleared of all charges, he had most of his team back, and Danny had moved in with Grace. Now Danny was his lover and Grace, his daughter.

He and Danny had become comfortable with their intimacy, although there was still one last act they had shied away from. Steve was satisfied with their sex life and figured they would get there eventually. It was a little restricting to have Grace down the hall, and it was tough trying to fit his normal schedule around spending time with his new family. He knew it was worth the effort. He felt complete now in a way he had not imagined. He loved them both so much and vowed to do everything in his power to protect his family.

Steve finished his swim and quickly showered the sweat and salt water away. Then he put his sleep clothes back on and slipped into bed. Steve was pretty smug that he had finished his workout and come back to bed without Danny being aware of his absence.

"Have you killed all the bad guys and saved the world so soon? It can't be past, what, 7:30 in the morning." Danny's voice was low and he sounded amused.

"Did I wake you? I was slept out and wanted to get my workout in. But I wanted to be here with you when Grace woke up. Any reason I can't do both? Besides, you were taking up the whole bed. You were like an octopus; there were arms in every direction." Steve was smirking, moving in for a morning kiss.

"You weren't complaining about my arms last night in the shower babe." It was Danny's turn to smirk now. He remembered how Steve had trembled as Danny mapped all the pleasure points on Steve's body.

"Well, you seemed to enjoy your work so much that I didn't have the heart to stop you." Steve didn't want Danny to get too smug.

"And that's your story and you're sticking to it." Danny was laughing now and kissed Steve, getting in the last word. It wasn't long before they heard Grace moving in the hall.

Grace knocked softly on the door and stuck her head inside. "Danno, Step-Steve, are you awake?"

"No", they both answered and started laughing. Grace took her revenge by jumping on Steve's stomach, then Danno's. Danny knew this was one of Grace's moves and was prepared. Steve was not so prepared, which made Danny laugh even harder.

Grace was excited to have this time during the week. It felt like she was playing hooky. She was also worried about her mother. She was still a little surprised that Rachel was letting her stay over the weekend. "Danno, is Mommy okay?"

That sobered both men. Danny wasn't sure how to answer Grace's question. He was pretty sure that Rachel wasn't really okay. Their affair had started partly because Rachel had grown unhappy with Stan. Stan was easy to be with but there was no passion on her part, although Danny suspected there was with Stan. "Why do you ask Monkey?" Maybe he could come up with a better answer if he knew what Grace was worried about specifically.

"Mommy cries a lot. She tries to hide it but I can tell. Step-Stan doesn't smile like he used it. I hear them talking in their room sometimes. They think I can't hear, but I can. Sometimes they sound mad, and sometimes they sound sad. I don't want them to be sad, Danno."

Danny didn't know what to say. Steve could see his indecision and tried to help. "Grace, sometimes that happens when two people are together. There are really good times and some not so good times. I think that your mommy and Step-Stan are working through a not so good time now."

Grace considered this and said, "But you and Danno are having a really good time now." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes we are. It's easy to have a good time in the beginning. We're so happy to have each other and you. I suspect we'll have some not so good times too. That's when you have to work harder to get back to the good times. I think that's what your mommy and Step-Stan are trying to do now." Steve was really winging it now. He had never been in love before and just hoped he was making some sense.

Danny was impressed with Steve's explanation. He and Steve were still in that honeymoon phase of their relationship where you tend to overlook daily annoyances. Shit, he couldn't even think of one right now. He was just so happy. He knew Steve was right. Things will get rocky between them at some point; it was bound to happen even if they didn't work together.

Danny decided to jump in now that he had a clue what to say. "Step-Steve is right Grace. I think your Mommy and Step-Stan are both going through a very hard time now. They wouldn't want you to worry about them. They both love you and want you to be happy. Give them some time. I think they will work it out. You can always talk to Step-Steve or me if it will make you feel any better."

Grace accepted their explanations and slipped under the sheet for her morning cuddle. Steve and Danny knew exactly how to comfort Grace now. They hugged her and softly spoke about plans for the weekend. Steve wanted them to do something really special to celebrate his new dad status. Danny had gotten paid and could finally contribute to the occasion. They asked her what she would like to do.

"Step-Steve, what was your favorite thing to do when you were a kid?" She had traveled with Step-Stan and Rachel frequently and Step-Stan hadn't spared any expense. She wasn't looking for that this weekend.

"There was a cabin that we used to rent for the weekend. The owner usually didn't rent it out but he was friends with my dad. There was a freshwater lake where we could fish and swim. We'd pack a picnic and eat down by the water. It was about the only time we knew dad wouldn't get called away. There was no phone there; I don't even think you can get cell coverage there now. It was perfect."

Steve had gotten a dreamy look on his face and he remembered a time before his family had been shattered. He remembered lying down by the lake at night when he mom would point out the constellations. He remembered his dad patiently tutoring him on the fine points of baiting a hook and casting a line. He remembered making 'smores' with Mary by the evening campfire.

"Do you think the cabin is still there? Would your friend let us stay there?" Grace brought Steve back to the present with her question.

"Yeah, that sounds perfect. We'd have the weekend away from everything. Can you call him?" Danny wasn't really an outdoor kind of guy but he would do anything to put that look on Steve's face again.

"I can certainly try. How about some breakfast?" Steve was anxious to make the call. It would be a perfect way to spend the weekend.

The trio quickly dressed and Danny started breakfast while Steve went searching for his dad's address book. It was right where it always was, in the desk drawer in the study. Steve found the right page and made the call. Ten minutes later, he was in the kitchen with a look of excitement on his face.

"Mr. Page was so happy to hear from me. He said we could pick up the keys tonight. We can drive up after work tomorrow night. I think we have time to hit the market before work and pick up supplies. We're going to need graham crackers and marshmallows and Hershey bars for the smores." Steve was like a kid now. Had Danny really called him stoic?

"Slow down Super-SEAL. Sit down and eat your oatmeal like a big boy and I'll let you ride the horsey ride in front of the store before we come home." Danny couldn't resist teasing Steve now.

Steve was still reeling off details of things they would need to take and didn't even notice that Grace was giggling now. They would obviously need to take Steve's truck. He finally settled down enough to eat his cereal. When he went to get a second cup of coffee, Danny stopped him. "No Steven, you're hyper enough now. No more caffeine for you today."

Steve grinned sheepishly now. "I'm sorry Danno. I'm a little excited about the weekend. You don't mind going there, do you? I know it's probably not your favorite thing to do."

Danny interrupted Steve now. "Stop Steven. I don't mind at all. We're going to have a great weekend, aren't we Monkey?"

Grace agreed with Danno and finished her oatmeal. They made a quick trip to the supermarket to pick up what they would need for the weekend. Danny was happy to be able to pay the bill. It was great to be solvent again. Once home, they started some laundry and went searching for the camping gear in the garage. They found a lantern and the fishing gear where his dad always left it.

It was time to grab a quick lunch and head to work. Grace was excitedly telling her friend Ali about the weekend when they left her at Emelina's. Steve and Danny met Lori and Chin at HQ. They all looked rested after the morning off and tackled the paperwork with gusto, even Steve.

Chin interrupted Steve mid-afternoon. "Do you have time to talk boss?" Chin closed the door and sat down.

"Sure Chin. What's up?" Steve leaned back from his paperwork and waited for Chin to speak.

Chin was worried about Kono and just needed to vent his frustrations. Steve was still trying to come up with a way to help Kono, but she wasn't helping herself by hanging out with bad ex-cops. Finally Chin ran out of steam. Then he broached a subject he was reluctant to bring up.

"How are things working out with Danny and Grace at the house? I talked to Emelina today. She said you seemed to be a perfect family. Aleka called you Step-Steve."

Steve winced at that. He hadn't thought that Emelina or Ali might 'out' them. He decided that honesty would be the best policy. "Danny and I are together." He paused, waiting to see if Chin understood. God, he hoped so. He wasn't sure if he could be more explicit without blushing.

"Well, I wondered how long it would take for you guys to get a clue." With that, Chin opened the door and walked out.

Steve was a little stunned by Chin's reaction. He got back to his report and everyone finished up with twenty minutes to spare. Steve sent the reports off and went out to congratulate the team on a job well done. Then he and Danny headed out to pick Grace up before going to Mr. Page's house to pick up the keys to the cabin. Finally they went home.

It was a busy night. They had the leftover Chinese food from the night before for supper and finished the laundry. Danny didn't want to send Grace home with dirty clothes. Then they packed the rest of the supplies and their own bags for the weekend. Everyone was anxious to leave as soon as possible after work tomorrow.

Mr. Page promised that the cabin would be ready for them. He had it aired out and clean linens were put on the beds. They just needed to bring food and themselves. He had been really happy to meet Steve's partner and his daughter. He had read about 5-0 and was proud that his friend's son was following in his father's footsteps.

Friday was a slow day for them compared to earlier in the week. They reviewed reports from HPD to look for any suspicious patterns that might indicate a serious threat to the islands. Finally it was quitting time.

Steve and Danno picked up Grace, loaded up the truck, and headed to the cabin. It was going to be a great weekend.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Friday afternoon traffic is the same everywhere, even in Honolulu. Steve was impatient under the best of circumstances. Danny could see that Steve was close to the boiling point as he navigated them out of the city. He decided to try a diversionary tactic.

"What else did you do at the cabin? Where there any other families nearby?"

Danny's question snapped Steve back from a little fantasy where his old SEAL team blew up all the traffic in front of the Silverado. Steve thought for a minute. Danny wasn't sure if he had heard the question or not. Finally he spoke, almost sheepishly. "Mary and I used to run around in the woods and play He-Man and She-Ra."

Danny snorted and asked, "You mean, 'I have the Power of the Universe' He-Man?"

"Yes Danny. When I was a kid, I loved watching He-Man and Star Wars. Mom used to tell me that I attended the first Star Wars movie when I was only about a year old. She and Dad took me to the drive-in to watch it. When I was a little older, I would watch it on tape or TV reruns. I even got a Millennium Falcon for my birthday one year. I would sit on the living room floor and pretend I was Han Solo."

Danny was fascinated now. He was so different from Steve and it was eye-opening to realize that they had so much in common as boys. Once again, he was struck by how traumatized Steve had become by the death of his mother. He had effectively lost both parents and his sister that day.

"Why Han Solo and not Luke Skywalker? I liked Luke; I always pretended to be one with the force."

"Luke was such a do-gooder. Han was a rogue; he had a lot more fun and he got the girl." Steve was grinning at the memory now. He also realized that traffic was clearing and they were almost out of the city.

"Step-Steve, who's He-Man?" Grace was curious now. She knew about Star Wars but He-Man was new to her.

Steve spent the rest of the trip talking about Masters of the Universe, Eternia, Castle Grayskull, and the evil Skeletor. When Danny started filling in details, Steve looked over in surprise.

"What, you think we didn't have the power of the universe in Jersey? I was He-Man at least three years at Halloween." Danny was talking with his hands again to Steve's amusement.

Steve had pulled the truck up in front of a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in a small town. Danny had no idea where they were going but he was pretty sure this wasn't it.

"Why are we stopping here?" Danny hoped they would get to the cabin soon. He was getting really hungry.

"This place has the best smoked chicken and brisket on the island. I spent some time in Texas training and became addicted to the barbeque there. This is the closest I've found to the food there. I'll be out in a few minutes." Steve climbed out of the truck and ran into the restaurant. About ten minutes later, he came out carrying a large grocery bag full of food.

The aromas were amazing. Danny's mouth watered now. "What did you get babe? And tell me we're going to eat soon."

Steve laughed when he heard Danny's stomach rumbling. "We're about ten minutes out from the cabin. We can bring in the essentials and eat while it's still warm. I bought chicken, brisket, ranch style beans, cole slaw, and cornbread. There's cobbler for dessert."

It was a long ten minutes with the food tempting them. Finally Steve pulled up in front of a modest wooden cabin. It had a porch that went across the entire front of the building. They all climbed out of the truck and Steve went to unlock the front door.

"Danny, I'll grab the cooler so we can stick the cold stuff in the fridge if you'll carry supper. We can come back out for the other food and our bags. Come on in Grace. I'll show you to your room." Steve was in his element now; this was like setting up camp with his team with much better accommodations that usual.

In no time, they were sitting around the kitchen table having supper. Grace had a bottle of juice while the guys had a Longboard. The food was as wonderful as Steve had promised. "This food is worth the trip alone." Danny had barbeque sauce all over his hands and face. Actually, they all did."

"We always stopped there before we got to the cabin. It was our routine every year. We liked the smoked meat so much that Dad ordered a smoker from the mainland. He spent one horrible summer trying to master the technique. Mom had to put a bunch of places that deliver on speed-dial that year."

Danny heart squeezed listening to Steve talk about his parents. Steve never laughed when he spoke of his parents, but he was laughing now. Danny realized that Steve was sharing stories about his childhood all the time now, and many were normal, happy memories. It was an interesting juxtaposition from the glimpse Danny had gotten of Steve's life as a SEAL in the Naval Situation Room.

"You know babe, you need to come back to Jersey with Grace and me. There's this place on the boardwalk we used to go to when I was a kid. They had the best Greek food on the East Coast. The owner used to be a fireman with my old man until he was injured. Then he opened his restaurant. He would fix us dishes that weren't on the menu. Us kids loved the saganaki best. That's when the waiter brings out the cheese on a metal platter and sets it on fire. Everyone yells "Opa" and then we'd eat the melting cheese on pita bread. It was great!" Danny was smiling fondly now.

"I'd love to visit your home Danny, maybe get a chance to meet your family." Steve spoke earnestly now. He had enjoyed sharing his favorite places on the island with Danny. He realized that Danny must want to do the same thing with him.

"You mean it; you would actually leave paradise and vacation in New Jersey?" Danny couldn't have been more surprised than if Steve started speaking Swahili. Come to think of it, that wouldn't be so surprising.

"Yes Danny. I know your home is important to you. I'd be proud to go with you." Steve spoke earnestly now. He wanted Danny to know that he was serious about this, about Danny.

It was Danny's turn to be earnest. He put his hand on Steve's and spoke quietly. "Babe, this is my home now, and you and Grace are my family now. But I would love to show you where I grew up and have you meet my parents and sisters."

"I'll have to talk to the governor and see if I can get us a week off later this summer. That way we can take Grace with us too. How about we get this mess cleaned up and I'll show you around? I think we got more sauce on us than in us." They all laughed at this and crowded around the sink to wash off. The remnants of the meal were packed up and stored in the fridge.

The remaining gear was unloaded from truck and stowed in the cabin or on the front porch. The layout of the cabin was simple. The living room and kitchen were one large room. There was a fireplace in case the weather turned too cool. There were three bedrooms. Steve and Mary had been assigned one of the smaller bedrooms while his parents took the larger bedroom with the bigger bed. Grace chose the room Steve had occupied. There was no tub in the bathroom but the shower was adequate.

When Steve finished the tour, he looked at Danny and Grace expectantly. "Well, what do you think?" Steve really wanted them to like it here. He hoped they would want to come again.

"I love it Step-Steve. Do you think we can play He-Man tomorrow? Can I be She-Ra?" Danny and Steve both laughed at this. They knew then it would be a great weekend.

"Sure Monkey, we can do whatever you want. It's nicer than I expected Steve. I think this is going to be one of our favorite places too." Danny wanted to add his approval to Grace's.

Then they all walked down to the lake. It was a clear starry night with a full moon. Steve had no trouble finding the path down to the water. It was about ten degrees cooler here than in the city. There was a gentle breeze coming off the lake.

"You know, this reminds me of a place where I went to Boy Scout camp once. If I ignore all the tropical plants, it's almost like I'm in Jersey again." Danny, Steve, and Grace were sitting on a grassy area on the bank of the lake now. Grace was in her favorite place, sitting between Danny and Steve. They sat like that while Steve pointed out some of the constellations his mother had taught him.

Finally they headed in for the night. Grace took her shower and had story time with her men. As it turned out, Steve was a gifted reader. Danny loved listening to him spin the stories almost as much as Grace. Finally, Grace was too sleepy to listen to any more of the story. Danny and Steve tucked Grace in with a tight hug and kiss and reminded her that they loved her.

"Love you Danno. Love you Step-Steve." Grace was asleep by the time that the men walked out the door.

Steve and Danny grabbed a beer from the fridge and headed out to the front porch. The screen door was open so they could listen for Grace. Danny hesitated and then brought up what he considered was Steve's insanity rescue.

"We need to talk about your actions from the other day. Steven, did you really have a plan when you went up in that plane, or did you figure you'd just jump out of said plane and something would come to you?" Danny didn't want to ruin the weekend but there hadn't been much chance to talk.

"Danny, I had practiced that kind of rescue in SEAL training. I couldn't let Jacks die without making an attempt to save him. I made sure that I was above minimum chute deployment altitude. You saw the SEAL team raid. That's what we do. That's who I am. I really need for you to accept that." Steve held his breath now. He wondered how Danny would react after seeing the raid. He was pleased that Danny finally had a chance to see a SEAL team in action. Maybe it would lessen some of his concern.

"I do babe. It's was just really hard for me to focus on taking Ruiz down when I knew you were going to attempt some kind of insanity. "

"It was hard for me to focus knowing you and Chin were facing Ruiz. I read some of his jacket. He was lethal. Speaking of Chin, you should know we've been 'outed' by Emelina and Ali." Steve waited for Danny's reaction to this bit of news, hoping he wouldn't freak out.

"I guessed that it would be a matter of time. We've had Grace with us since we've been together. People will start to notice when we go out with just the two of us. There will be speculation and gossip. We should probably decide how we want to handle it. Maybe it would be best to just tell people as the situation arises. Rachel already knows. What about your friend, Joe?"

"Joe told me not to screw it up two weeks ago at the cookout at my place."

"I was really the last person on the island to know, wasn't I?" Danny was laughing now.

"If it's any consolation, I don't think Weston knows."

"Steven, she's only known us for two weeks. And didn't she ask how long we had been married the second day?" Danny was talking with his hands again.

"Danno, you don't want to wake Grace. Are we good here? There will be times when we're both going to worry about each other. I really am trying to be more careful. I finally have what I want: a loving family. I will do anything to keep it that way." Steve stood and gave Danny a hand up. They went in and locked the front door.

They quickly took turns in the small bath and met in the big bed. Steve had opened the window and the room was on the cool side. The men huddled for warmth and for comfort in the middle as always.

"This is a great idea Steve. The island is so small that it's hard to get away from it all. Do you think we can talk Mr. Page into letting us stay here again?"

Steve was so pleased to hear that Danny liked it here and would want to come back. "I think that can be arranged. Grace seems happy too."

"Well, she's happy any place where we are. Aren't you sure you don't mind having her this weekend? We haven't had a night without her since…since we started this thing between us. What do I call it anyway? An affair? That doesn't sound right."

"Danny, I would have Grace with us full time if it was possible. And I don't need to put a name to it. You're my partner, at work and in life now. Next year, civil unions will be legal in Hawaii. We can consider that then if we want to. For now, it's enough that we're together and a family." Steve kissed Danny softly. They exchanged kisses and touches until sleep claimed them both.

_I knew I was getting older the day I realized that Steve and Danno are just a few months older than my own son, Stephen. He and his sister, Jennifer, used to play He-Man and She-Ra. And he was the little boy who sat with his Millennium Falcon watching Star Wars. It's been a trip down memory lane dredging up some of the kids' adventures to fill in my story._


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

In Steve's opinion, Saturday mornings were the best with his new family. He had a whole day to fill doing family things. They could even stay up a little later on Saturdays and could sleep in on Sunday to make up for it if necessary.

It was still too early to get up. Steve had no desire for his morning run today. His desire ran more to a very warm Danno who was still curled around him. Steve was the little spoon again this morning. He laughed every time he thought about it. Steve very smoothly flipped over until he was facing Danny. He was considering how best to wake Danny when he saw blue eyes looking at him.

"Morning babe. It's kind of early to be planning an op. I could hear the gears turning in your head in my sleep." Danny's word might be teasing but his kiss was deadly serious. Danny liked weekend mornings with Steve too. He was so much more relaxed on weekends.

"You keep doing that and Grace might get a surprise when she joins us in bed." Steve put up a token protest but answered Danny's kisses with his own.

"Grace will be out for at least another hour. Do you need more time than that?" Danny was smiling now.

"Nope I can work with that." Steve had a sudden thought: did he parents do this in the early morning hours when they used to come for the weekend? He remembered his dad (and mom) looked really happy here. That was the last coherent idea Steve had for a while.

They were used to keeping the volume down. There times when it was hot and fast, times when it was slow and sweet. Today they were laughing and exchanging insults. Danny had never laughed during sex before. His partner had never paid attention to Danny's responses the way that Steve did. It had never been like this before for Danny. He had never expected it to be like this.

Steve was thinking the same thing. He'd been with a fair number of women, and he'd been with Catherine off-and-on over several years. He'd never been completely engaged with someone like this before. He never wanted to stay with someone before. "I love you Danno." Steve hadn't told him since the first weekend. He would have to remember to say it more often.

"I love you too, you big goof. We'd better get cleaned up. Grace is way too young for her first lesson in sex education." Danny was still laughing when he came back after his shower. Steve took his turn and had just closed the bedroom door when he heard Grace go into the bathroom. He hurriedly slipped back into bed.

"Shit Steve. You're feet are like ice. Move them." Danny was trying to look mad but he couldn't quite pull it off.

"But Danno, your feet are so warm," Steve whined. He made sure Danny got the full effect. Danny was tickling him now to try to get him to move but Steve had a lot of experience with hand-to-hand combat.

"What's going on in here? What's so funny?" They hadn't heard Grace come in. She was under the covers before they knew it.

"Well, I'm just trying to warm my feet up." Steve drew his legs up and gave Grace a dose of cold feet. She squealed in response.

"And I was trying to get him to move his cold feet." Danny tickled Grace to illustrate his point. Before long, they were all laughing and squirming. Grace was ticklish but Steve was really ticklish. Every time he dodged Danny's hands, Grace nailed him. Finally hunger won out and they rose to get dressed.

Danny called dibs on the breakfast menu. His mom's sister, Aunt Diane, had married a man from Nashville and moved there when Danny was just a baby. Danny used to spend a couple of weeks there in the summer; it would take him a month to lose the distinctive Tennessee drawl. Aunt Diane made the most wonderful homemade biscuits with sausage gravy, and Danny still remembered how to make them.

Danny put the sausage patties in the skillet to brown while he mixed up the biscuit dough. Danny had made sure to get the ingredients when they shopped for smores supplies. The sausage was not as lean as he usually bought, but he needed the extra fat for the gravy. Soon, the biscuits were in the oven and the gravy was bubbling in the skillet. Danny was stirring scrambled eggs in another skillet between adding bits of sausage to the gravy.

Steve put a cup of coffee by the stove for Danny and surveyed skillets' contents. "You do realize that we're miles from the nearest medical facility. When we finish this, we'll be candidates for coronary bypass."

"Thus speaks the voice of our nutrition conscience. Don't forget I've seen you put away a plate of loco moco. Consider this the southern version. Biscuit on the bottom, then sausage and eggs topped with gravy."

"What about the other half of the biscuit?" Now Steve was teasing Danny.

"It's the bottom for more sausage, eggs, and gravy. As much as you've traveled, I would think that you would know these things." Danny was talking with his hands again.

"It's a good thing we brought some nutritious food along. How would it be topped with some pineapple? It think that sounds good, don't you Grace?" Steve was really getting into it now.

Grace had witnessed many of Danno's rants against pineapple. She was sure Step-Steve was kidding but she enjoyed the show enough to join in the fun. "That's sounds yummy Step-Steve. Can you cut up enough for me and Danno?"

"It isn't enough that you want to ruin my favorite breakfast, but you have to turn our own daughter against me in this! I don't even know why I bother…." Danny's rant now was in full bloom. Steve really did know how to push his buttons.

In this case, Steve cut him off with a kiss. "Gotcha! I'm sorry Danno but sometimes I just can't resist. I don't even have any pineapple here." He motioned to the empty counter. The buzzer for the oven went off just then.

"Just remember, Steven, I don't get mad; I get even. But you're saved by the buzzer. Shoo! I have to get these biscuits out before they burn." Danny deftly slipped the tray onto a trivet and moved the biscuits to a basket lined with a clean dish towel. Then he covered the contents up to keep them warm.

"Grace, you traitor, put these on the table along with some butter and honey." Danny then scraped the gravy and eggs into separate bowls and carried them to the table while Steve brought the plate of sausages over. Coffee was topped off and Grace got a glass of milk. Breakfast was finally ready.

Steve watched as Danny and Grace assembled their meal and decided to follow suit. The team had certainly bullied Danny into trying enough local concoctions. He decided at least he could give Danny's breakfast a try.

Steve broke the biscuit open and was amazed at the flaky texture. He added sausages and eggs, and then spooned the gravy over both stacks. Tentatively, he put a forkful in his mouth. Oh, it was wonderful! He sat there with his eyes closed and made an 'hmmm' sound of contentment. The gravy was the best.

"What do you think Monkey; does Step-Steve like it? I don't think he likes it. I'll just take it and…ow!" Danny tried to take Steve's plate, but Steve stabbed Danny's wrist with his fork.

Steve said in a very low menacing voice, "Back away from the plate and no one will get hurt. Next time I'll draw blood."

Danny and Grace were laughing. Steve had assumed a protective huddle around his plate and proceeded to eat every last bite. Finally, he leaned back with a contented sigh. "Danny, I may have to swim laps in the lake all afternoon to burn this meal off, but it's the best breakfast I've ever eaten."

Danny wore a smug smile and simply said, "Told you so." Laughing, Danny took another biscuit; he split it and added butter and honey. He then handed Steve half. "Try it with butter and honey."

Steve was full but decided half a biscuit couldn't hurt. "Danny, how do you get them so light and flaky?" Steve had honey dripped on his hand and licked it off.

Danny was getting hot and a little bothered by the look in Steve's eyes as he licked the honey off the inside of his hand. He had seen that look on Steve's face during their early morning interlude. He shook his head to clear the image and answered Steve's question. "That's classified."

Steve finally pushed back from the table and turned to Grace. "Grace, Danno cooked so we have to clean up."

Grace helped clear the table while Steve washed and rinsed the dishes. Together, they dried and put everything away and wiped the stove, counters, and table. They found Danny swinging on the front porch. It had an old-fashioned swing attached to the ceiling of the porch. Danny moved to the side so that Steve and Grace could join him.

"It's been perfect so far Steve. What do you want to do next?" Danny was content to swing for a while but knew that Steve couldn't sit still that long.

"I say we go fishing. We'll have better luck before it gets hot out. We'll want to swim later, and that will scare the fish away. If we have any luck, we can eat our catch for dinner. Otherwise, there's something in the freezer we can get out to thaw."

So the family sorted through the fishing gear and gathered what they needed. Then Steve led them down a different path than the one they traveled last night. As he walked, Steve explained how he and his dad would start every morning by fishing for dinner. Some days they were successful, some days not so much.

The part Steve loved was that aside from watching their lines, he knew he had his dad's full attention. John McGarrett would share some of his boyhood experiences with Steve. He was always a little more patient here. Finally, Steve directed Danny and Grace to a nice spot under a large tree.

"You need to be careful Grace. The lake is pretty deep here. Don't stand too close to the edge. Danny, I went by the DNR when I was out yesterday and got licenses for us. Grace doesn't need a license." The trio spent the rest of the morning fishing, catching peacock bass and bluegill. Grace was absolutely delighted that she caught the biggest fish. That made the day even more enjoyable for Danny and Steve. They knew that she would always remember the day she caught her first fish.

By the time they hiked back to the cabin, it was almost lunchtime. Steve and Danny quickly cleaned the fish and refrigerated the fillets. They washed up and finished the leftovers from last night's feast. Then Steve disappeared into his old room and rummaged around in the closet. He came out with two play swords.

Danny starting laughing and asked, "Are those the swords from your He-Man days?"

Steve didn't answer; instead, he led his family to an area to the rear of the cabin. He found the large rock he was looking for and stood on it, proclaiming "By the Power of Grayskull, I have the Power of the Universe".

Steve looked so young and earnest. At the moment, Danny could see a young Steve playing with his sister, fishing with his dad, and stargazing with his mom. He ached for Steve and his innocence lost at too young an age.

Suddenly, Steve stepped down and gave Grace his most charming smile. Picking up the smaller, more feminine sword, he turned the handle towards Grace, bowed, and asked, "She-Ra, would you like to try it?"

As Grace took the sword, Steve placed her on the rock and held her in place. The love shone in his eyes as Grace gave the command exactly as Steve had. "By the Power of Grayskull, I have the Power of the Universe".

Danny blinked back unshed tears at father and daughter standing there. The ache was gone; Steve was with his family now.

_This chapter is dedicated to my late sister, Diane, who married, moved to Nashville, and made the most wonderful biscuits on earth. Her son Jason is a fireman there; we all miss her even though she's been gone 19 years._


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

The remainder of Saturday passed too quickly for Steve's taste. Steve, Danny, and Grace spent an hour running around the forest, playing Masters of the Universe. The day had become quite warm by mid-afternoon, and the group decided to go swimming.

There was a beach area close to the cabin where the water wasn't too deep. The deepest parts of the lake remained cool even in the middle of summer. Here by the shore, it was a comfortable temperature.

Steve was surprised when Danny waded into the water without hesitation. He stood there looking puzzled.

Danny turned around and saw the look on Steve's face. "Hey, there are no sharks or other large sea creatures here. I figure I'm safe." Steve just shook his head and followed Danny in. They played in the water for quite a while. Steve took some time to swim a few miles to make up for breakfast, but he didn't want to leave Danny and Grace too long.

Finally, they grew tired and hungry. "We should wait on our showers until later. I'm going to cook the fish over a campfire, and we'll have smores for dessert." They toweled off and put dry clothes on. Grace and Danny gathered kindling while Steve prepared the fish. He also sliced some veggies and put them in foil pouches to cook on the fire.

The fire was going nicely by the time Steve carried everything outside. Danny and Steve sipped on their beers while Grace had a soft drink, a rare treat for her. Soon, supper was ready; Steve carefully unwrapped the food and filled their plates. They sat on the front porch while they ate.

"Grace, I think this is the best fish I've ever eaten. This is the fish that you caught." Steve wanted Grace to remind that she had provided some of their meal tonight.

"Step-Steve, today was almost as cool as swimming with the dolphins. I caught a fish and I was She-Ra and I got to swim." Grace could hardly sit still. She was having such a great day.

"Slow down Monkey. We still have smores ahead." Danny knew how she felt. He was having a great day too.

Steve found some sticks needed to roast the marshmallows. He carefully whittled the ends to a point so the marshmallows would slide on easily. Danny brought the marshmallows, graham crackers, and Hershey bars out. Once the marshmallows were brown and sticky, the men slid them off the sticks. The gooey marshmallows were sandwiched between graham crackers and Hershey squares. The result was a sweet piece of heaven.

"Danny, have you been neglecting Grace's education? She's never had smores before?"

"I guess I have. It's a good thing I have you around to help. Looks like someone is ready for her shower." Grace had chocolate on her hands and marshmallow on her face.

"Danno, looks like we all need a shower. You too Step-Steve." Grace thought it was really funny that her dads were a mess too. She knew Danno acted a little goofy sometimes but she had never seen Step-Steve like this.

"You're right Grace. I should just turn the hose on us, or maybe we could jump in the lake. Let me help you." Steve started toward Grace to make good on his threat, his sticky hands outstretched to grab her.

Grace shrieked and ran into the cabin. They heard the bathroom door slam and running water soon after.

"Good move babe. I wondered how I was going to talk her into getting cleaned up without an argument. She's had a really great day; we all have. Want to clean this mess up?" Danny collected the trash while Steve carefully doused the campfire. They had finished up in the kitchen when Grace came out, her hair in a towel.

"Step-Steve, can you help me get the tangles out and dry my hair?" Grace was trying to get the excess water out of her hair without much luck.

Okay, this was new. Steve had never helped Grace with her hair other than fixing her pony tail one morning. He gave Danny a look that said "Help me, I'm in over my head".

"You can do this super-SEAL. Use the towel to get her hair as dry as you can. Then use the comb to get the tangles out. Keep combing through her hair while you use the hair dryer." Danny talked Steve through the process.

Steve was really nervous about this. He didn't want to pull Grace's hair. She sat there perfectly still, trusting him to do a good job. When her hair was almost dry, Danny stopped him.

"I'll show you how to braid her hair. It's easier when her hair is still a little damp." Danny took the comb from Steve now and parted Grace's hair. He deftly divided one side into three mostly equal parts and wove the hair into a neat braid. "Don't pull it too tight or it will give Grace a headache. If the parts get tangled up, just comb it out and start again." Danny fastened the end of the first braid and gave the comb back to Steve.

Steve carefully combed the remaining hair and tried to follow Danny's lead. He had to start over three times, but the fourth attempt turned out pretty good. He looked at Danny for approval.

Danny had to stop himself from smiling at Steve's intense concentration on the task. He gave a thumbs-up to the finished product and pronounced, "Congratulations, today you are a dad."

Steve gave Danny and Grace his biggest grin. He felt like this was a major accomplishment. "Great, does that mean I can get my shower next?" He wasn't above taking advantage of the situation.

"Yes, you big goof. Go get your shower. Leave me some hot water, will you?" Danny waved Steve off and went out to swing on the porch with Grace. Danny had his turn at last, and he was relieved that there was enough hot water for him. Soon, it was story time and then Grace was in bed for the night. She was a very tired and happy little girl.

It was still early so the men grabbed a beer and sat in the swing for a while. They were also tired and very content to sit on the porch with the man they loved. They sat mostly in a companionable silence. It was liberating to be away from the scrutiny of others who might not understand their relationship. Eventually, they locked up and retired for the night. They huddled in the middle of the bed and soon fell asleep.

Sunday passed too quickly for everyone. Breakfast was a simple meal of oatmeal and fruit. Danny and Steve had enjoyed a cup of coffee on the porch before Grace woke up. They talked for a while about how they would come out, who they should tell first. Steve worried that the governor might want one of them to leave 5-0. They would both quit before they let that happen. Danny worried how his family would accept the news.

"Danno, your family loves you. They might have a hard time accepting it at first. I think they'll be happy that Rachel has lost the power to hurt you. And I think they'll be happy that you have joint custody of Grace." Steve had his arm around Danny now and pulled him close. That was how Grace found them.

After breakfast, they went fishing in a different spot than yesterday. They had no luck but it was fun anyway. They took a nature hike after lunch; Steve pointed out some of the native plants and explained which ones could be eaten and which to avoid. Too soon, it was time to pack up.

"We need to strip the beds and collect the towels. Someone will come by tomorrow to collect the laundry and clean the bathroom and kitchen. We should sweep the floors too and bag up the trash. There's a dumpster in town where we can drop it off."

Working as a team, it took about an hour to pack up and finish the chores. Grace did a good job helping the men. This wasn't as much fun as swimming or fishing, but it was as much a part of family life. They headed back to the city, tired but very happy.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. They all realized that Grace would return to her mom's house in the morning. Only the knowledge that she would return on Friday made it bearable. Story time went long that night so they could finish the book.

Later when Danny and Steve made love that night, it was a little frantic. They would need each other to get through the next five days without Grace.

Early the next morning, Steve considered if he should stay in bed for a last cuddle with Grace or get up for his workout. He finally decided it might be better if he kept to his usual routine. Grace would be back on Friday evening. It's just that this separation would be so hard.

While Steve started his swim, Grace was crawling into bed with Danno, seeking her morning hug. Danny knew that he needed to finish packing up Grace's bag so they didn't linger. Danny sent Grace off to get dressed while he shaved and brushed his teeth. He thought he heard his cell go off but didn't hear the ring tone again and decided he made a mistake.

Little did Danny know that last weekend was the calm before the storm. When Danny came out of the bathroom, Grace was on his cell phone talking to her 'Nana', Danny's mother. As Danny listened in horror, Grace chatted on about her wonderful weekend with Danno and Step-Steve, how they were living with Step-Steve, how they were a family now. Dear Lord, Grace was 'outing' them to his mother.

"Yes Nana, Danno is here. I love you too. Step-Steve said he would ask the governor if he and Danno could have a week off so that we could all come see you. Bye." Grace held out the phone and told Danny sweetly, "She wants to talk to you."

Danny eyed the phone like it was a snake. He finally took it from Grace and told her to get ready for breakfast. "Hi mom. Yes, I guess I have something to tell you. You've heard me talk about Steve, my 5-0 partner. Well, I lost my apartment and asked Steve if I could stay here for a few weeks until I could save some money for a security deposit and first month's rent. Rachel had agreed to joint custody as long I had a nice place to stay. Steve's house fit the requirement"

"That part has worked out well. We had Grace all last week and both weekends too. It's great mom; I'm a dad again. It turns out that Steve and I have feelings for each other. I love him mom, and he loves me. He loves Grace as much as I do. He would give his life to protect her. She adores him. He's my partner at work so he can watch my back there. And Mom, Rachel can't hurt me anymore."

Danny ran out of steam now. He wasn't sure what to expect. "Danny, are you sure?" His mom's voice was a little shaky now.

Well, that certainly wasn't what he expected. "Yes mom, he makes me happy. And we make him very happy."

"Grace said something about all of you coming for a visit. Is that true?"

"Yes mom, Steve has been showing us some of his favorite places on the island. He said that he would like to meet my family and see some of my favorite places. He said he would talk to the governor about us taking some time off later this summer when we could bring Grace too." Danny's panic had dropped to mild heart attack level now.

"I think we would all like to meet your Steve. We were so worried when you reconciled with Rachel. I know you were happy about it but your dad and I didn't think it would last. When we heard about the baby, we were heartbroken for you. We weren't sure how you would react. You've spoken of Steve so often over the last year that we wondered what was going on between you. I guess you've got it all figured out now. Is he there? Could I speak to him?"

Danny had been looking out the window while he talked. Just as he was going to tell his mother that Steve was still out for his morning swim, he turned and saw Steve leaning against the door.

"Hold on for a minute Mom. Let me see if he's back from his swim yet." Danny looked at Steve a little sheepishly and asked, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Since 'I love him mom, and he loves me'". Does your mom want to talk to me?" Steve put his hand out for the phone.

Danny couldn't think of anything to say. Instead, he handed the phone to Steve. It was obvious that they were losing control of the situation. He really didn't want his parents to find out this way.

"Mrs. Williams, this is Steve McGarrett. I'm so happy we finally have a chance to meet, even if it is over the phone. I'm in love with your son."

Danny's head whipped around at Steve's words. He knew that Steve loved him, but telling Danny's mother like this made it seem more real.

"Yes ma'am, Grace is a wonderful child. I love her too. I don't have much family of my own, just a sister who lives in Los Angeles. Danny is lucky to have such a loving family." Steve paused to listen briefly, then said, "It's been great talking to you too. Here's Danny." Steve gave the cell phone back to Danny and leaned in for a soft kiss. "It's okay Danny. Everything is going to be okay." Then Steve went to shower and get ready for work.

Danny took the phone back and offered, "I'm back Mom. Satisfied?"

"Yes Danny, I am. He's a very polite young man and he's not ashamed to say what he feels. I like that. Your dad and I can't wait to meet him. And Danny, call us. We miss you. I love you Danny."

"I love you too Mom. And I'll try to call more often. Tell Dad I said hello. Bye." Danny set on the side of the bed for a minute, feeling as though he had already put in a hard day's work.

He was still sitting there when Steve came out of the bathroom wearing only a towel. Steve sat down next to Danny and put his arm on Danny's shoulders. "Is everything okay with your Mom? What happened? I thought you were going to wait to tell her, although I don't mind."

Danny laughed and said, "Our dear daughter outed us. Mom can't wait to meet you. Help me make the bed? We need to get a move on."

They were behind schedule now because of the phone call. Breakfast was quick and soon they were dropping Grace off at Rachel's. The weekend had been therapeutic for Rachel and Stan. Danny noted that she looked rested and more relaxed this morning. The reunion between mother and child was teary. They weren't used to such a long separation.

Finally Rachel turned to Danny and Steve. "Grace looks fit and happy. She obviously enjoyed her time with you. Thank you for keeping her this weekend. I think it helped. I know you need to get to work. Call me later when you get a few minutes, Danny. There's no problem. I just want to catch up on things. It would help me to know what kind of routine she had at your place."

Steve and Danny had a difficult time saying goodbye to Grace. They had been together a blissful 9 ½ days. It was harder for Steve in some ways. This was all new to him, and leaving Grace at Rachel's just felt wrong.

"You get used to it. You never like it, but you get used to it." Danny knew how Steve was feeling and tried to offer some comfort. "When I only had her for a day here and there, it was much worse. Now, we only have 4 ½ days until we get her for another week. We have work to keep us busy, and there's a ton of stuff to do at the house since we played hooky last weekend."

Steve smiled now. "The lawn will be there when we get home Danny. So will the laundry and the house. Last weekend was great, wasn't it."

Danny returned Steve's smile. "Yes, it was the best. And now we have Monday to get through. I used to hate Mondays when I knew it would be another week or two before I had Grace again. It's not so bad now that I'm not going through it alone."

Steve reached for Danny's hand. "No matter what happens, we go through it together. Deal?"

"Deal."


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

_Spoiler Alert: Information on Episode 4 is mentioned in this chapter._

The days without Grace passed quickly. 5-0 had another case, the murder of a diver who was trying to recover his grandfather remains. The case got to Steve on many levels. His grandfather's body still lies in Pearl Harbor. The victim's mother waited for her son to come home from school every day, her mind clouded with Alzheimer's disease.

Lori Weston surprised him with her sensitivity to Sylvia Spencer. She delayed telling the mother that her son was dead; as she said, it would serve no purpose. Steve still wasn't sure if he could trust her, but she worked hard and could be an asset to the team.

Danny decided to flirt with the pretty Dr. Asano from the museum. He told Steve that it was a reflex reaction, like Steve hanging a suspect off a building. Still, it made Steve jealous and they had their first fight. Danny stormed out of the house that evening and had coffee with the Dr. Asano. He returned a couple of hours later, miserable that he and Steve were at odds.

Steve had spent the time cleaning up a storm inside the house. He was so frustrated about everything. He missed Grace. He was mad that Joe hadn't sent the video to the DoD. It had been very emotional to put his uniform on that day to pay his respects to the recovered sailor's remains. It hadn't been too long ago that he thought he would never wear the uniform again. And now he was upset about the fight with Danny.

He had just finished putting clean sheets on Grace's bed when he heard Danny come in downstairs. Steve took a deep breath and went downstairs. Danny was sitting on the couch, a pair of Longboards on the coffee table. He looked forlorn, his head in his hands. "I don't know why I flirted with her. I hate to fight. At least you yelled back. Rachel would give me the silent treatment for days. Please tell me we can put this back together."

"There's nothing to put back together." Steve wanted to reassure Danny and realized he wasn't getting it right. "I mean, nothing has fallen apart. Considering how often we yelled at each other the first few months, it's a miracle we haven't gotten into it before now. It's like I told Grace. We've been having a good time. Today was not so good. We're going to have a better day tomorrow. I'm sorry I didn't trust you. I made more of out it than I should have."

"I'm sorry I got mad and left. I'm sorry I went for coffee. I was miserable the whole time." Danny stood and met Steve halfway across the room. They hugged without speaking further.

Finally, Danny noticed the smell of Lemon Pledge and the gleaming furniture. "Did you have Martha Stewart in for a date while I was gone? The house looks great."

Steve laughed and told him, "Don't make fun but sometimes when I'm really mad (like today), I clean. Sometimes it's the house; sometimes it's the garage or my truck. At least the housework is finished for the week. Is that beer for me?" Steve sat on the couch and took a long drink of the beer.

"Yeah, I need one to offset the caffeine. I'll be up for half the night now." Danny sat next to him and leaned close. "I miss Grace."

"Me too. Hey, there's good news. We can have make-up sex, really loud make-up sex since Grace isn't down the hall." Steve raised his eyebrows with a 'are you interested' look.

Danny sat up and gave his best smile. "I love the way you think babe. Last one upstairs has to be on the bottom." Danny laughed and started for the stairs.

Steve raced after Danny. "Hey no fair, I always have to be the little spoon. I should get to be on top. Besides, I put the clean sheets on the bed."

It was a tie, and they both got to be on top, eventually. And just like that, they had survived their first fight. They also discovered a way to pass their spare time until Friday night. They spoke to Grace every morning and every evening. Steve printed up more pictures from their last weekend and started a family album.

Danny and Rachel had a long conversation one evening after Grace had gone to bed. She was impressed that Steve and Danny were providing such a loving and stable family life for Grace. She and Stan were getting along better. During their weekend away, Rachel and Stan finally brought out their biggest issues and deepest fears. There had been a lot of anger and tears, and now it seemed that they were putting the pieces of their marriage back together.

Rachel wanted Danny to know that she and Stan would be cutting back on expenses. If it seemed that Stan wasn't spending as freely on Grace, it wasn't that he was withholding funds because he was angry at Grace. It was the price to pay for staying home most of the time. Stan had already paid the tuition for the next year for Grace's school, but they might have to share tuition for any future years.

"Rachel, I don't care if Stan cuts back on spending. I always thought she didn't need a lot of that stuff anyway. I'm relieved that you and Stan are doing better. Grace was feeling the tension and I was worried about her. How about you? Is your pregnancy going okay?"

"Yes Danny, I'm feeling better too. Did the commander really braid Grace's hair? I'm trying to picture it. And did he really play help Grace and Ali play with their Barbie dolls?" Rachel laughed at the idea.

"Rachel, the man amazes me every day. Yes to both questions. You should have seen him playing in the forest with Grace and me. He's just a big overgrown kid." Danny couldn't keep the affection out of his voice.

"And you love him very much." Rachel finished the thought for him. "It's lovely, really. Stan didn't believe it when I told him, but I think he's relieved. He knows that you might not be afraid of him but Steve would be very scary if anything happened between us again."

"It won't and that's not the reason Rachel. It's over between us, really over this time," Danny gently told her.

"I know Danny. It's nice like this. I'm relieved the anger is gone. Maybe we can be friends again."

"I'd like that. Oh, you might like to know that Grace outed Steve and me to my mom before she left on Monday. Steve will need to tell the governor soon before he finds out some other way. Knowing Grace, she'll manage to tell him first."

They spent another few minutes discussing Grace. Danny wasn't sad when he hung up for a change. It was more like an old wound. The pain was gone but the scar remained.

The remainder of the week at work was spent assisting HPD with some of their more troublesome cases. Chin, Danny and Steve continued to be concerned about Kono. Chin finally made peace with her, vowing to support her in whatever she did. Kono had been steadfast in her support of Chin; he owed her the same.

Friday afternoon came none too soon. Steve and Danny picked Grace up promptly after work. They ate shrimp outside by one of the many shrimp trucks that dotted the city. Then they went grocery shopping for the week, a first for the three of them. Steve and Danny had put together a list after doing an inventory of the kitchen. During supper, Grace added some of her favorites to the list.

After unloading the car, Danny decided they should go for some shave ice for dessert. Kamekona had been asking about Grace; besides, he was always good for a laugh. He had a very unique outlook on life, to say the least, but he had proven himself to be a very good friend to all of them.

The family had a very laid-back weekend. On Saturday, Joe White came over and gave Steve a hand on the Marquis. Chin and Max joined them a little later and they played a little softball. There wasn't enough people for a game, but everyone got a turn at bat. Joe turned out to be a pretty good pitcher, and Chin could shag flies with the best of them. Max couldn't bat or field but was a passable catcher. Afterwards, they played in the surf while Steve grilled hamburgers for supper.

It would have been a perfect day except Kono's absence was sorely missed. When Steve asked Chin for an update, Chin shrugged and told him that there was no news. Steve was going to see the governor about Kono if something didn't break soon. She had worked too hard for 5-0 to desert her like this

Joe joined Steve at the grill, same as he did 3 weeks ago. "You and Williams seem to be pretty tight these days. I know you're still angry about the video. You've got something really good going now. Don't screw it up. You're lucky you got a second chance."

"I know Joe. Being with Danny has helped restore some balance in my life. Please understand I need to know the truth about Dad and Wo Fat. I'm not going off half-cocked like I did with Governor Jameson. I will not put my family at risk like that again. But we do need to get Wo Fat behind bars or six feet under."

"That's good to hear. I've got another idea about the tape. If the DoD discovered anything damning, your dad would be dragged through the mud. My alternative solution would prevent it. It will take me a week or so to line it up. I have to call in a favor. Trust me?"

"Of course Joe. Just don't lie to me again." Steve was glad to clear the air with Joe. "These burgers are about done. Want to call everyone to wash up?"

The crew washed up and helped Steve set the table. Meals together were always a fun affair. They traded insults and teased each other. No one was immune, not even newcomers Joe and Max.

Grace finally said what they had all been thinking. "I miss Kono."

"We all do Grace. She's having a hard time now. She won't let us help her." Steve always tried to be honest with Grace.

"But that's what family is for, isn't it Step-Steve?" Grace looked so earnestly at him.

"Yes Grace, that's what family is for." The rest of the meal was noticeably quieter. Steve glanced over at Chin who mouthed "Step-Steve" and raised his eyebrows. Steve shrugged in reply.

Chin stayed on after the others went home. He waited downstairs as Steve and Danny tucked Grace into bed. He envied the home life that Steve and Danny had found. He was working on his relationship with Malia and hoped a family would be in his future someday soon.

Steve had asked Chin to hang around for a while. They sat around the living room, drinking Longboards and brainstorming what they could do to help Kono. Chin felt very guilty that he didn't tell Steve about his suspicions. Chin owed his allegiance to Kono because she always stood by him. He also owed Steve for giving him another chance at cop work with 5-0. He just hoped Steve would forgive him if the whole mess went south.

By mutual agreement, Sunday was a day for just the three of them. Steve and Danny woke early (by Danny's standards) and made love, quietly because Grace was just down the hall. It was their favorite way to start the day. Grace came in later and they enjoyed cuddling with her.

Danny was always amazed that Steve liked to cuddle so much. Every night, they slept wrapped around each other. Rachel had always been a little reserved physically. This was something new for him, and he decided that he liked it. Although he pretended to complain, Steve didn't mind being the little spoon.

Steve had time that afternoon to bring out his GI Joe figures and plan a new op to thwart the evil Ken. Grace listened intently as Steve explained the basics of mission planning. Danny sneaked a few pictures and went down to start supper. He was making his mom's lasagna recipe for Steve and Grace.

Danny even took time to call his parents, even though it was pretty late in New Jersey. His parents were always night owls and were happy to hear from their son. Steve even talked to Danny's dad for a little bit. Danny was still amazed that his parents accepted Steve as his partner.

Looking back, Danny could see that he was so angry and bitter when he first moved to Hawaii. He hated everybody and everything about Hawaii. Now he was thriving at 5-0 and enjoying family life again. The doctor warned him that his blood pressure and cholesterol were up. He drank too much and slept too little.

Now he kept busy in the evenings helping with the house and yard; he found it soothing after being cooped up in his old apartment for so long. Danny hadn't had a malasadas in a couple of weeks. They packed lunches at least 3-4 times a week. Life was almost perfect.

"We need to help Kono." Danny hadn't heard Steve come downstairs. He turned and gave Steve a soft kiss.

"Have I told you today that I love you? I was just thinking how much better my life is since we became a family. Kono has lost her family. Yes, we need to help her." Danny leaned his forehead against Steve's chest and locked his arms around Steve's waist.

"Hey, if I can help Grace defeat Ken and his evil minions, I should be able to come up with a way to help Kono. She hasn't lost her family. We're still here. She's just in such a bad place that she can't find her way back to us. We have to meet her halfway. And I love you too. My life is better with you and Grace."

When Steve and Danny walked into the palace Monday morning, their number one goal was to bring Kono home, back to 5-0.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

_Spoiler Alert: Information on Episode 5 is mentioned in this chapter._

The early part of the week was slow. Steve and Danny were still trying to run down leads on Wo Fat. No matter how many times Steve reviewed the clues from the 'Champ' box, he was still at a dead end. Late Wednesday morning, 5-0 was assigned a new case. The University of Hawaii women's volleyball coach, Brian Scartelli, had been discovered dead in the locker room of the Stan Sheriff Center.

Steve, Danny and Lori headed over to the crime scene. Chin was having lunch with Malia when he got the call. Fortunately, Malia remembered what it was like to date a cop and graciously took a rain check. Besides, she had taken a thrilling ride on the back of Chin's motorcycle the night before. Chin was confiding his concern about Kono when he had to leave. Malia later paid a visit to Kono to try to intervene with no success.

Scartelli had been badly beaten before his death. There were no known enemies; Chin reported that the coach had been living in the guest quarters of Karl and Trish Joyner. Steve and Danny headed for the Joyners while Chin and Lori analyzed footage from the previous night's game.

The Joyners lived in a high rent district along the shore. Danny was irritated that a coach would be living in such a wealthy area while they as cops could never afford such luxury. When Danny wondered why Scartelli should have all the luck, Steve pointed out that Scartelli's luck had ended. Being dead is certainly not lucky.

Karl Joyner had no idea who wanted Scartelli dead. Initially, Steve and Danny suspected the motive might be linked to pictures of a scantily clad player. That didn't pan out, but Lori and Chin discovered that Scartelli had rented a motel room for a week. When the manager reported that the women with Scartelli hadn't checked out, Chin and Lori staked out the room.

Between a message on the answering and a fingerprint left on a glass, they identified the female occupant was Trisha Joyner. Danny and Steve went to pick up Karl Joyner but he was shot before they could take him in. He got a chance to tell them that someone was after Trisha. Based on the distance and accuracy of the shot, Steve decided that the shooter was a pro.

Further investigation of Joyner's financials showed that he was laundering money and his bank account had been emptied, apparently by Trisha. An armed man showed up at the motel looking for Trisha; he was wounded before he could get away. Chin recognized that Kono was driving the getaway car.

Chin had no choice now but to make a full disclosure to Steve. Chin didn't know how bad it was until today. Steve was angry and frustrated; he ordered the squad to pick Kono up.

Meanwhile, Kono had a dying man on her hands. Dwight Murphy didn't survive the shooting and Delano ordered her to dump the body. He wanted to know where Trisha was. Kono didn't have the answer to that. She was in way over her head. 5-0 intercepted her before she could get too far and ordered her out of the car at gunpoint. It was an awful scene.

Steve took his frustration out on Kono in the interview room and Chin intervened. Kono refused to tell them anything, much to their dismay. Dismay turned to disbelief when Vince Fryer appeared to claim Kono was one of his. Kono had been working with IA to protect the team.

Steve and Fryer argued out in the hall. Steve pointed out that Kono had only been out of the academy for a year and a half. Chin told Kono that Fryer was only using her to get revenge against Frank Delano, Fryer's former partner. Kono insisted that she had to finish the job.

Kono went back to Delano with 5-0 and Fryer as backup. They lost her when she was forced to turn off her cell phone. Delano found Trisha Joyner and she was forced to retrieve the money from the Bank of Oahu. Chin was able to activate Kono's cell phone remotely and they determined her location. While Kono accompanied Trisha to pick up the money, 5-0, Fryer, and much of the HPD waited for the gang to exit the bank.

Kono was able to confide to Trisha that she was with the police and that she would be okay if she followed instructions. They were almost out of the bank when an employee saw that Delano was armed and panicked. Kono neutralized some of the gang and got Trisha to safety in the elevator before Delano shot her.

Delano took a hostage before he exited the bank. He threatened to kill the hostage as Fryer tried to talk him into surrendering. Ultimately, it was Fryer who took Delano down. The hostage was safe, and fortunately Kono had only suffered a flesh wound. Chin hugged her tightly when she finally came out of the bank.

Steve had another idea; he slugged Fryer, warning him that "nobody messes with my team". Fryer's reply was, "Duly noted, Commander". The 5-0 ohana was whole that afternoon as they left the scene. Steve made an appointment with Governor Denning for the next day to verify that Kono would be permanently assigned to 5-0.

That evening, the team celebrated at the McGarrett-Williams home. It took Kono about two minutes to determine that the status between Steve and Danny had changed. "Something you need to tell me boss?"

Steve tried to stonewall Kono. "Welcome back to 5-0?"

Kono snorted at this. God, it was wonderful to be back with the family. "You and Danny, you're together." It wasn't a question; it was a statement.

"We've been partners since day one. Lori Weston won't change that." Steve was going to make her work for the truth.

"Yeah, well you're partners away from 5-0 too. You and Danny finally got a clue. That's great boss. If I wanted to kiss the bride, would that be you or Danny?" Kono was laughing, thoroughly enjoying Steve's discomfort.

Danny overheard the conversation and offered his opinion. "That would be Steve. He's the little spoon." He was also laughing at Steve, who had turned three shades of red.

"TMI Danny. That's so much more than I wanted to know. I'll just kiss you both congratulations and say that it's about time." So Kono offered a kiss to both Steve and Danny. "Is it fair to ask who knows?"

"You and Chin know. So does Joe and Danny's family, both here and in New Jersey. As far as I can tell, Lori hasn't figured it out yet. I have an appointment with the governor tomorrow morning. I want to make sure that you're officially a part of 5-0 again, and I'm going to talk to him about our relationship. Grace has outed us to enough people."

Steve was careful to keep an eye on Lori Weston. He had to include her in the party. Max and Joe were also over. Danny had arranged for Grace to stay over with Ali for the night. They had carefully gathered up their family photos before anyone arrived. Unless Lori strayed upstairs, there was no reason for her to discover their arrangement yet.

"Okay boss. I'll wish you luck on both counts." Kono grabbed another beer and wandered outside.

Later that evening, Steve and Danny discussed the next day's meeting. "Danny, I have no idea what the man is going to say. I will not give up my relationship with you. If necessary, you can stay on with the team. I could go back on active duty with the Navy, but that would probably separate us. I'm too far away from retirement to make it work. I can set up my own business doing security work for the private sector."

"Steve, I don't want to be at 5-0 without you. Why don't we wait until you talk to the governor? There's no sense borrowing trouble." The men finally settled in for the night.

At 9 a.m. the next morning, Steve was seated in front of the governor. He was dressed in a suit again but tieless. "Governor Denning, I appreciate you giving me some time this morning."

"You're welcome Commander McGarrett. I assume this has something to do with Officer Kalakaua." The governor saw no point in wasting time.

"Yes sir, I'm officially requesting that Officer Kalakaua be permanently assigned to 5-0. She has been a tremendous asset to the team over the last year, and her assistance to IA has certainly earned her some consideration." Steve was trying to hard not to show his nervousness.

"Commander, I know that we haven't always agreed on issues, but I concur with your request. My office will issue the order by the end of today. I have been impressed with 5-0's performance. You're keeping your nose clean. Officer Weston will continue with 5-0. As I said before, she was not meant to be a replacement for Officer Kalakaua. Will there be anything else?" Steve was being dismissed.

"Yes sir, there is a personal matter that I wanted to bring to your attention. My partner, Detective Williams, and I are involved in a personal relationship. It's a recent development. We're being diligent to make sure that it doesn't impact our professional relationship. It's a small island and it will become common knowledge soon enough. I wanted to tell you myself before that happened." Steve could feel the sweat trickling down his spine. Damn, he would need a shower when he got back to the office.

Governor Denning considered the situation for what seemed like forever. Finally, he spoke. "I appreciate your candor. It's a common practice to separate domestic partners in cases such as this. However, I'm convinced the success of your team is partly due to the personal relationships you have forged. Kelly and Kalakaua have been a successful team despite being cousins. I have no objections to keeping status quo for now. Are all the team members aware of your relationship?"

Steve could feel the knot in his gut ease just a little. "Yes sir, except for Officer Weston."

"Commander McGarrett, despite your impression otherwise, I did not assign Officer Weston to 5-0 to babysit you, to use your words, or to spy on you. I have instructed her to report only violations of standard police procedures. I'm essentially granting you a favor today; I'm asking for one in return. Accept Officer Weston as part of your team. Include her in as much as she is comfortable. Will you do that?"

"Yes sir, I will, and I'll make sure the rest of my team does. She was included in the gathering in Kono's honor at my home last night. I'll make sure that she's aware of the relationship between Danny and me. We do change up our assigned partners routinely to fit requirements. We have all partnered with her over the last few weeks, and she seems to work well with everyone. I appreciate your decision."

"You're welcome, Commander. Please send my assistant in on your way out."

Steve left the office as quickly as protocol allowed and made a beeline to his office. Danny had been waiting for Steve's return; he had long since stopped pretending to work. Chin and Kono had been watching Danny with interest. Lori had no idea what was going on. She just hoped that she would still be with 5-0 at the end of the day.

Danny saw Steve coming down the hall. Their eyes met and Steve tilted his head in the direction of the men's room. Danny nodded and casually strolled in that direction. Steve was checking the room to make sure they were alone. When Danny came through the door, Steve pinned him against the wall and kissed him hard.

"Please tell me this isn't a goodbye kiss. What did he say?"

Steve stepped back; he looked like the man that Danny drew his gun against in the garage many months ago. "Kono's back for good. You and I get to stay together, here and at home. That is the first and last unprofessional kiss between us while we're on duty."

Danny did a fist-pump of triumph. "So we're all good? What? You have Aneurism Face."

"It's not so bad. Lori stays with the team. The governor only wants Lori to report if we deviate from SOP. We have to make nice with her. That about covers it. Shall we tell the rest of the team? I'll go first; you follow in a few minutes."

Then Steve was gone. Danny's head was still spinning from the kiss. He knew he was wearing Steve's goofy grin face. He did his best to keep a straight face and walked out as Steve was assembling the team in his office. Danny joined them just as Steve was starting to speak.

"Thank you everyone for joining me. I have some news for the team. First, Kono is officially assigned to 5-0 again. Welcome back Kono." Everyone cheered and congratulated Kono. "Second, Lori will be remaining with the team. Lori, I know that I wasn't very professional when you were assigned to 5-0. That was my mistake and I apologize. Welcome to 5-0." The team graciously welcomed Lori; it was easier now that they knew she wasn't a replacement for Kono.

Steve looked at Danny, who rose and stood next to Steve. Chin and Kono grinned while Lori was really confused. "As some of you already know, Danny has been staying with me since he lost his apartment. It's grown into something much more. We are officially a couple, actually a family with his daughter Grace. Danny has joint custody now and she lives with us half of the time. The governor has agreed to let us stay partners."

Chin and Kono were excited that the 5-0 family would stay intact. Lori was still a little confused but very happy to be staying with 5-0. She offered her congratulations to both Steve and Danny. "I accept your apology Steve. I'm very happy to be a part of your team. I think we're doing a lot of good here."

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Steve and Danny raced to pick up Grace at the end of shift. It was their last night together for a week. They got dressed up and had dinner at a really nice restaurant. Later after Grace was asleep, they made love.

It wasn't perfect, because real life never is. But it was damn close. They had each other; they had Grace. They had 5-0, whole again because Kono was back. They didn't have to hide their relationship. Everyone who was important knew the truth. Steve had even talked to Mary early that morning. She had laughed and commented that she was glad to know that Steve was human after all.

They had time now, and the freedom to be together. Steve allowed himself to believe that they would be together a year from year, ten years from now. "Danno, I want to do the civil union thing with you after the first of the year, as soon as it's legal. I want it to be legal and public. Will you?"

Danny kissed Steve long and hard in response. "Steven, is that a proposal?"

"Yes, it's a proposal."

Even in the dim light, Danny could see Steve's puppy dog eyes. "Then yes, I want to do the civil union thing. How about New Year's Day on the beach at sunset?"

"It sound perfect Danno. It's a date." Maybe it would be perfect after all.

_This is the end of "And So It Begins". The next story will continue with Steve and Danny together living openly as a family with Grace. Maybe Grace will find a new hobby now that her work is finished with Danno and Step-Steve. Thanks for reading. Your support has been overwhelming._

_Linda_


End file.
